Angle Theory Diagram 1937

Curator: This is Stuart Davis’ “Angle Theory Diagram,” its date is unknown. It is currently located at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first impression is its starkness. The interplay of angles, lines, and shapes feels very analytical, almost cold, despite being drawn by hand. Curator: Davis was deeply engaged in the discourse of his time, grappling with questions of abstraction, representation, and the social function of art. This diagram, in particular, seems connected to the broader modernist project of uncovering the fundamental principles of visual language. Editor: Exactly, it's as though he's dissecting form itself. The angles and their relationships dominate, creating a visual grammar, wouldn't you agree? Curator: I think there's an element of commentary here, too. Davis was very aware of the increasing commodification of art, and these geometric studies might be seen as his attempt to democratize the process of creation. Editor: Perhaps it’s an attempt to reduce art to basic design. Whatever the intention, the diagram certainly prompts us to consider the underlying structure of everything we see.