“Stuart Davis in Havana” is on view at Kasmin Gallery on 297 Tenth Avenue through August 13. It presents 10 early watercolors painted in 1920 that follow Stuart Davis’ trip to Cuba where the artist recovered after contracting the Spanish flu.
Curated by Priscilla Vail Caldwell in collaboration with Earl Davis and the Estate of Stuart Davis, the exhibition features archival material documenting the artist’s experience including postcards, lottery tickets, and the painter’s passport. Works such as Dancers on Havana Street and Woman with Shawl utilize angular silhouettes rendered in purple, black, bright yellow, and deep red.
Melding reality and fiction, Davis layered depictions of Havana’s natural landscape with detailed architectural elements pulled from recognizable structures such as the Church Santo Angel Custodio, La Fortaleza of San Carlos de la Cabaña, or the fortifications of the old city. With his collection of transformative works, he became one of the preeminent figures of the American Modernist movement through the post-war era.
