Smithsonian Resident Associate Program Tenth Anniversary Poster 1975

Curator: Gene Davis's poster celebrating the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program's tenth anniversary, created in 1975, immediately struck me with its vibrant, almost pulsating colors. Editor: I find that combination of earthy browns with vibrant orange, pink and purples rather cloying; I'd almost call it a study in mid-century color clashing, if I didn't know this poster represents such a powerful cultural institution. Curator: Consider how a poster such as this, using those strong colors and sharp geometric forms, acts almost as a kind of industrial messaging about cultural access. It reflects Davis's experimentation with seriality and repetitive form. He was fascinated by how the smallest shift in hue could affect perception. Editor: Fascinating. So, it's about making art more accessible, yet using methods of production – in this case, printmaking techniques that allow for multiple editions – to reach a wider public? Are the colors here less about individual expression and more about a democratization of the artistic experience? Curator: Precisely! This poster exemplifies how an artist engages with institutional frameworks to deliver aesthetics to the public. We could think about the distribution chains and economies created around an image like this. Where would someone have encountered it? What did it cost? It gives rise to questions about consumer culture and artistic value itself. Editor: That reframes everything I thought! This work isn't just about aesthetic taste, or an accessible print, but rather about what such broad institutional outreach signified. Did access become less hierarchical because of mass printing? Curator: In effect, the work encourages us to examine art within cultural conversations about societal norms and progress, highlighting its engagement within the power dynamics that shape artistic exposure and experience. Editor: That opens my eyes to new possibilities for appreciating Gene Davis's design! Thank you.