Solar Diary (Needle Park) 1972

Gene Davis made this large, vertical stripe painting, Solar Diary (Needle Park), and right away, the bright colours and simple composition grab you, don’t they? It’s a super process-oriented painting. Davis was all about colour and rhythm. Up close, you can see how he applied the paint, not trying to hide the brushstrokes, and how the canvas texture subtly peeks through the thin layers. Look at the variation in the orange, how it vibrates against the other stripes. The narrow, vertical lines of yellow, green, white, and tan create a visual beat, almost like musical notes on a staff. This rhythmic play of colour and line makes the whole canvas seem to hum. Davis reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin, in the way they both find the sublime through repetition and simplicity. But where Martin is quiet and introspective, Davis is loud and exuberant. Ultimately, it’s a painting that celebrates the pure joy of seeing and experiencing colour.