Eskimo Map 1976

Gene Davis made "Eskimo Map" in 1976 with pencil and crayon on paper, and you can see how the layering of those materials gives it a cool, almost archaeological feel. The texture is so immediate, like you could run your fingers over the tooth of the paper and feel every mark. I love the way the red crayon scribbles suggest forms, vaguely human or animal maybe, floating in that hazy, pale red space. And then there's this border, a gray field of cryptic notations. It's all so provisional, nothing is fixed, and that’s what makes it so alive for me. That open-endedness lets your mind wander, filling in the blanks, making connections. It reminds me a little of Cy Twombly, but with its own distinct, quirky spirit. It just goes to show you that art is not about answers, but about asking interesting questions, and maybe drawing your own map to get there.