Diamond Jim 1972

Gene Davis made 'Diamond Jim' with paint, and it’s all about vertical stripes, a bit like a funky, muted curtain. What's cool here is how the colors interact. They're not super bold, but they create a rhythm, a vibe that's almost musical. I get the sense of Davis carefully laying down each stripe, one next to the other. The painting isn't trying to hide the process. It owns it. Look closely, and you see how the paint sits on the surface. Some stripes are a bit thicker, others thinner, letting the canvas breathe through. It's not perfect, and that's the beauty of it, the imperfections are where you can really see the artist's hand and feel the moment. Davis reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin, another artist who understood the power of the line. But where Martin is all about serenity, Davis has got a little more pep in his step. Both artists embrace ambiguity, inviting us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the table.