Field Diagrams 1940

Editor: This is "Field Diagrams" by Stuart Davis, created around 1940. It's a sketch on paper, almost like a page from a notebook. It feels very conceptual to me. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see Davis grappling with the fundamental structures of abstraction. These diagrams, produced during a period of intense political upheaval globally, reflect a search for order and underlying systems. Consider the rise of abstract art's popularity; wasn't it a response to the chaotic interwar period? Editor: So, you think the diagrams are a reflection of that wider social context? Curator: Precisely. They suggest a yearning for a new visual language to articulate the shifting realities of the modern world. The diagrammatic structure lends itself to being reproduced, reconfigured, and re-presented. Editor: That's fascinating, I never thought about it that way. It adds so much depth to what seems like a simple sketch.