Art Theory Text with Logical Space Diagram c. 1932

Curator: Here we have Stuart Davis’s “Art Theory Text with Logical Space Diagram,” a handwritten page of notes and a small diagram from the artist's archive. Editor: My first thought? It feels like a recipe, or maybe an equation—but for making art, not baking a cake. It's definitely intriguing, in a cryptic sort of way. Curator: Davis, ever the theorist, seems to be exploring the idea of logical space in relation to nature, seeking precision in artistic expression. The diagram itself acts as a visual metaphor. Editor: Right, the little grid echoes architectural blueprints or even mystical diagrams used for meditation. He’s trying to systematize something inherently fluid, pinning down the elusive shape of the whole picture. Curator: Which raises the question of whether art can ever truly be reduced to a formula. Is precision the ultimate goal, or is something lost in translation? Editor: It's like Davis is wrestling with the tension between intuition and intellect, the rational and the emotional. He might be onto something, or completely missing the point—but I admire his effort to quantify the ineffable. Curator: An enduring puzzle, presented with charmingly old-fashioned handwriting. Editor: A riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a sketchbook! I like it.