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Gene Davis 2007

May 31, 2007- June 30, 2007

Gene Davis

Charles Cowles Gallery

537 W 24th St

One of the finest colorists of the second half of the 20th century, Gene Davis is most often associated with a single motif – vertical stripes in hard, edge-to-edge arrangements. In his thirty-five year career, however, Davis’s stripes underwent many incarnations and metamorphoses. This exhibition will feature prints, drawings, and paintings spanning two prolific decades, from the early 1960s to early 1980s, showcasing the artist’s constantly developing dialogue with color and composition.

Evolving out of an Abstract Expressionist tradition in the late 50's, Gene Davis grew to favor a large-format, flat approach with bold colors. The vertical stripe was critical to Davis in eliminating any "literary overtones” and to “prevent the eye from becoming overly aware of the composition of the painting.” Working within these constraints, Davis would implement color using a jazz musician’s sense of improvisation, never planning more than a few stripes ahead. As a result, the works are imbued with a unique vitality and almost kinetic sensibility.

Gene Davis (1920 – 1985) was a member of the Washington Color School, a loosely affiliated group which included, among others, Morris Louis. Attention on this group of artists has experienced a resurgence with ColorField.remix, a Washington, DC- wide event celebrating the founding artists in the movement and their successors. As part of this celebration, Davis has a solo exhibition, Interval, at the Kreeger Museum on view through July 31, focusing on the musical themes in his oeuvre. Davis’ work is included in the group show Optic Nerve: Perceptual Art of the 1960’s at the Columbus Museum, OH, through June 17, which was the subject of a comprehensive article by Sarah Rich and David Rimanelli in Artforum (May 2007). Davis' work will be on view in the group show, Color as Field: American Painting 1950-75, organized by the American Federation of Arts, that opens at the Denver Art Museum this fall and travels to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in spring 2008.

Gene Davis was included in seminal exhibitions during his lifetime including Post Painterly Abstraction at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1964 curated by Clement Greenberg, and The Responsive Eye at the Museum of Modern Art in 1965 curated by William Seitz. Davis's work is represented in major public collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of Art, NY; National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA.

Books and DVDs related to artists in this show

Location   Gallery Charles Cowles Gallery Address 537 W 24th St New York (Chelsea) NY, 10011 United States Phone 212-741-8999 Fax 212-741-6222 Hours Tue-Sat 10-6

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