Color-Space Diagrams 1941

Curator: Here we have Stuart Davis' "Color-Space Diagrams," a drawing whose date is unspecified, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It measures about 21 by 27 centimeters. Editor: It looks like a visual representation of synesthesia, where colors and spatial relationships blur. Quite a conceptual blueprint. Curator: Davis explored how color could be systematically structured, mirroring his broader interest in architectural forms and urban environments. The materials – paper and pencil – suggest the immediacy of this exploration. Editor: I see a mind at work, grappling with the unseen connections, a sort of color algebra expressing the elusive harmony of the city in a purely abstract dance. Curator: Indeed, Davis was interested in how mass production and commercial design could be used to make art more accessible and relevant. Editor: What starts as a diagram evolves into a deeper meditation on how we perceive and structure reality. Curator: Precisely. It really encourages us to consider the origins and evolution of artistic intention. Editor: It sure does. It feels like a riddle I'll be pondering long after I've left the gallery.