The Drawings of Stuart Davis: The Amazing Continuity

Although best known for his vibrantly colored paintings, which applied Cubist and modernist techniques to distinctively American subjects, Davis (1892-1964) believed that ``an Idea in Art has no existence previous to the act of Drawing,'' an act to which he devoted much time and effort. This volume, the catalogue for a traveling exhibit, reveals what Davis called the ``amazing continuity'' of themes and images in his paintings and drawings; a group of carefully laid out preparatory drawings and dark-hued color studies for his famous ``Egg Beater'' series shows that he often worked out ideas with ink on paper before beginning a canvas. Primarily an abstract painter, Davis often returned to naturalism when he encountered a new landscape, as evidenced in this collection by street scenes of Gloucester, Mass., Havana and Paris. Wilkin and Kachur, respectively guest curator and consulting curator of the exhibition, each contribute an essay; both tend to refer to the same works, a very small percentage of the 110 illustrations (40 in color), and neither displays more than a trace of Davis's appealing wit and vigor. Nonetheless, the book adds to our knowledge of a crucial aspect of this unique artist's work. In keeping with their subject's loose definition of what constitutes a drawing, the curators have included watercolors, gouache and collages on paper as well as a few works on board or canvas. ( Feb. )