Art Theory Text with Abuttal Diagrams 1943

Curator:Editor: Here we have Stuart Davis' "Art Theory Text with Abuttal Diagrams". It looks like ink on paper. There's a definite sense of process here, a kind of raw materiality in his thinking. What strikes you about it? Editor: The diagrams seem so abstract compared to the theoretical text; almost like instructions on how to see. What do you make of the relationship between the visual and written components, considering Davis's context? Curator: Davis seems to be dissecting his own artistic production. He explores the mechanics of creating forms, the labor involved in making art itself, more than trying to reach for some abstract ideal. This is a diagram of his labor! Editor: That’s a great way to see it! I had only considered the final piece, rather than the steps of getting there. Curator: And how the final piece relates back to these instructions! Material, production, and consumption, all in one work.