Battle for Grownups 1970

Editor: This is Gene Davis's "Battle for Grownups," created in 1970 using acrylic paint and ink. The vertical lines of varying colors give it a really playful, almost musical vibe. What do you make of this piece? Curator: For me, the core of this piece lies in the materiality and process. Davis is playing with industrial production. It uses basic components and gestures to highlight color's visual impact. Editor: So, less about high art, more about accessible materials? Curator: Precisely! Consider the title. "Battle for Grownups" suggests the consumption-driven society appealing to childlike interests. The paint itself, the scale - they invite you into a sensory experience without lofty symbolic burdens. It provokes thought about labor; How efficiently could this artwork be mass produced, playing on post-war optimism in manufacturing capabilities? What do you think of this consideration? Editor: I hadn’t considered that element of mass production! That really changes how I see it. It makes me think about how even art can be seen as another consumer good. Curator: Yes, and understanding its materiality leads to broader conversations around art’s role in a consumerist society. Editor: So, looking beyond just the colors, it's about understanding how Davis is commenting on society through the means of production. Curator: Absolutely. Davis questions these conventional art boundaries by focusing on accessible materiality and mass production. I would also posit that with color as its only value-bearing device, Davis successfully challenged the expectation of art for art's sake. Editor: I’ll never look at stripes the same way again. This has broadened my perspective of minimalist practices that utilize "easy" strategies and available art making materials.