Royal Canoe 1977

With “Royal Canoe,” Gene Davis probably stood really close to the canvas, laying down stripes of acrylic with a kind of meditative focus. I can imagine him thinking about Agnes Martin, or maybe Kenneth Noland, while making this work, but then also wanting to do his own thing. On the left side of the canvas, red, tan, and lavender stripes set up this warm, inviting rhythm. Then to the right, he shifts gears, using cooler blues, pinks, and yellows. These verticals of color almost vibrate, like the keys on a piano. It’s like he’s saying that painting can be both rigorous and playful, that you can set up rules but then break them whenever you want. Artists, we’re all looking at each other’s work and asking ourselves, "How can I jump into this conversation and say something new?".