The Mellow Pad 1951

Stuart Davis made The Mellow Pad; it’s anyone’s guess when, but it’s probably paint on canvas, given his love for process, for layering and letting the materials do their thing. I love how it feels like a collection of shapes, almost like a scrapbook of visual experiences. Look at that mix of textures and colors – the solid blocks playing against the looser forms, the sharp edges versus the soft curves. It's like a visual orchestra, where each element has its own voice but contributes to the whole. I’m drawn to the section with the words ‘The Mellow Pad’, because it’s so bold and playful, like a sign shouting out from the canvas. The words are broken and fractured, almost Cubist. They feel really intentional, and speak to the fact that Davis was engaging with visual culture at large. It all makes me think of someone like Juan Gris, but with a distinctly American flavor, a kind of jazzy, syncopated rhythm. Art is an open conversation, a mishmash of ideas, where meaning is always up for grabs.