GENE BERNARD DAVIS American, 1920 - 1985 Untitled, 1974 screenprint on paper Limited edition serigraph numbered 25 of an edition of 90. Pencil numbered, signed and dated lower left hand corner. This artwork may have been commissioned for the Kennedy Center. Sheet and image: 32 x 22 in. (81.3 x 55.9 cm) $1,000-1,200
ARTIST PROFILE: Gene Davis was a pivotal figure in 20th-century American painting, instrumental in establishing Washington, D.C., as a premier center for contemporary art and playing a lead role in the international color abstraction movement. Despite having no formal training—honing his craft instead through diligent museum visits and the mentorship of Jacob Kainen—Davis viewed his nonacademic background as a liberating force that allowed for a "free-wheeling" and improvisational approach to creation. While he was a cornerstone of the Washington Color School alongside artists like Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland, Davis’s philosophy diverged from their "at-a-glance" compositions; he instead crafted complex "color intervals" that required sustained viewing, much like a jazz musician "playing by eye." His vast body of work spanned twenty-seven years and ranged from minuscule micro-paintings to mammoth outdoor street murals, encompassing neon, video, and collage. Throughout his career, Davis rejected linear progression, often "raiding his past" to revisit old ideas with a signature blend of seriousness, whimsy, and joyful unpredictability.
Condition: The upper right hand corner paper is bent. Lower part of the print has some smudges. Item is unframed.
