Art Theory Text with Sketches 1942

Editor: This is Stuart Davis’ "Art Theory Text with Sketches." It's undated, but it's currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. I'm immediately struck by the chaotic yet deliberate arrangement of the sketches alongside his written thoughts. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Indeed. Note the angularity of the forms, the interplay of line and shape, and the evident concern for spatial relationships. Davis is meticulously exploring the formal elements of composition. Observe how the text itself becomes another compositional element. Editor: So the words are as important as the images in the structure of the work? Curator: Precisely. The text on angular relations and positional shapes elucidates his artistic concerns. One might consider how Davis's sketch embodies principles of cubism. A fascinating synthesis, wouldn't you agree? Editor: I agree! Seeing it from a formalist perspective really brings out the harmony in what seemed like chaos.