Art Theory Text with Stars and Diagrams 1943

Curator: This is "Art Theory Text with Stars and Diagrams" by Stuart Davis, undated, but likely from around 1943 based on the inscription. It's currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first impression is…diagrammatic! Almost like a chaotic mind map, but with a very specific, almost scientific visual language. It feels like he's trying to pin down something elusive about art itself. Curator: Precisely. Davis was deeply interested in the theoretical underpinnings of abstraction. You see these recurring star motifs and geometric shapes. They are less illustrative and more symbolic, hinting at a deeper structure. Editor: The handwritten text gives it such a personal feel, though. He's wrestling with ideas of "emotional content" and "color-space" – it's like peeking into his artistic process, this messy, beautiful attempt to intellectualize creativity. It’s a vibe. Curator: Indeed, his use of these geometric forms might represent the underlying abstract structures he believed dictated emotional response to a work. Editor: Ultimately, seeing this really helps humanize what can feel like impenetrable theories and make it feel alive. Curator: A fitting end to our conversation.