Art Theory Text with Color Diagram 1951

Curator: This is Stuart Davis’s “Art Theory Text with Color Diagram,” its date currently unknown. It’s an intriguing piece—all text and simple geometric forms. My first impression is how raw and immediate it feels. Editor: Indeed, and the text itself points to an insistence on the interplay between color and form. But, what of the context of this note? Davis was deeply engaged in modernist discourse, and notes like this reveal his intense efforts to systematize his artistic practice. Curator: Yes, the diagram suggests an attempt to codify his theories. The relationships indicated by "Gray," "Yachts," and the intersecting lines invite analysis of the structure underpinning Davis's compositions. It is almost a structuralist approach. Editor: Precisely. And consider Davis's leftist politics during the 1930s and the WPA. These ideas might have informed his commitment to accessible art. The text itself rejects obscurantism, demanding clarity. Curator: His diagram invites the viewer to participate in the process of artistic creation. Editor: A truly enlightening, if fragmented, insight into Davis’s artistic mind.