G&W 1944

Stuart Davis created "G&W" with oil on canvas, building up planes of flat color with crisp edges. The effect is almost like collage, though everything is carefully painted. Davis was deeply influenced by the urban environment, and the rise of advertising. He saw the potential for a new kind of American art in these ubiquitous visual forms. Look closely, and you’ll see references to signs, billboards, and commercial packaging. The bold, simplified shapes and vibrant colors echo the visual language of mass culture. The painting almost feels like a puzzle, daring us to assemble the references. Davis himself embraced the spirit of production. He was quoted as saying that he wanted to make paintings like a worker makes shoes. He saw no contradiction between art and the everyday, and his work celebrates the energy and dynamism of modern life. "G&W" challenges traditional notions of artistic skill, blurring the boundaries between fine art and the graphic design of the commercial sphere.