Art Theory Text with Space Division Diagram 1940

Curator: Here we have Stuart Davis's "Art Theory Text with Space Division Diagram," currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. It's a fascinating peek into his artistic thought processes. Editor: My first impression is one of stark simplicity—the crude lines and the handwritten text against the aged paper create a very immediate and personal feeling. Curator: Indeed. Davis is exploring fundamental concepts of art, specifically color and spatial division. The very materiality of the paper, the ink, the act of writing itself—it all speaks to the labor and thought behind his artistic production. Editor: I’m struck by his emphasis on the 'simplest' division. It’s not just about geometry; it's about a fundamental duality, mirrored in the black and white he mentions. The square bisected is such a basic symbol. Curator: And consider the social context. Davis was deeply engaged with abstract art during a period when debates about representation and abstraction were raging. This diagram is a manifesto! Editor: It feels like the diagrammatic root of so much of his work. It’s less a finished artwork than a symbolic key. Curator: Precisely. It helps us to understand the artist's underlying creative labor and the material components. Editor: Looking at this, I better grasp the symbolic foundations upon which Davis built his art. Curator: A testament to the power of direct engagement with the materiality and the thought.