Renoir's Curtain 1977

Gene Davis made this stripe painting, Renoir’s Curtain, and look how he’s handled the paint! It's very matter-of-fact, like accounting almost. There’s something so radical about taking the emotion out, in favour of process. Up close you see the colors are soft and subtle, with pale yellows and blues. The vertical lines create a rhythm. I wonder if he used tape? There is a clarity in the lines, a sharpness, but then, here and there, the paint bleeds at the edges. It is so human. Each stripe is a decision, a breath, a moment in time. Davis reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin – both artists find the sublime in simplicity, a quiet space for contemplation. But while Martin whispers, Davis hums. In the end, it's not about what the painting represents, but how it makes you feel. A bit like looking at a curtain, maybe Renoir's! You’re not sure what's behind it, but you are intrigued.