Homage to Newman II 1979

Curator: This is "Homage to Newman II" by Gene Davis, created in 1979 using acrylic paint. It's a striking example of Color Field painting. Editor: It gives me a feeling of immense calm, almost clinical. The muted blues, the clean lines… it’s very…contained. Curator: Absolutely. The vertical lines, and the rectangles formed, immediately reference Barnett Newman's work, as the title suggests. Verticality, in Newman, aimed for the sublime and perhaps this seeks a similar effect through simplification and pure color. Editor: Do you think Davis considered the cost effectiveness of using acrylics? Given this move towards geometric simplification, where’s the value in labor input if it isn’t immediately visible on the canvas? Was it intended for mass appeal and circulation? Curator: It's a very valid question. The turn to acrylics in this era could be seen as democratizing. The quicker drying time facilitated a streamlined production—the original idea can be rendered more rapidly, but is it truly democratizing, or just responding to a market demand? And what do we make of Davis choosing to pay homage rather than, say, subvert Newman? Editor: The framing, and its width, feels as crucial as the color blocks it borders; it reminds me of consumer packaging aesthetics from that era. Everything needed to look efficient, presentable, affordable. It’s striking to consider its original display location. Curator: The pale border definitely influences how we perceive those interior rectangles. If we consider geometric forms and verticality in the broader symbolic tradition, a visual language develops from antiquity— pillars, standing stones, obelisks... forms meant to endure but also signify connection. The yellow-gold stripe can act as the spark of revelation within otherwise quiet contemplation. Editor: You've given me a lot to think about – labor, the influence of materials…it’s more than just shapes. Curator: Indeed. It’s in considering these aspects that we fully engage with the cultural impact of minimalist aesthetics.