Smithsonian Resident Associate Program Tenth Anniversary Poster - Gene Davis

A 1975 screenprint by Gene Davis featuring his signature vertical stripe composition, designed for the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program.

This screenprint by Gene Davis, created in 1975, represents the artist's signature approach to colour and rhythm. Davis, a member of the Washington Color School, focused his practice on the exploration of vertical stripes to create optical effects. By varying the width and sequence of these bands, he manipulated the viewer's perception of space and movement across the surface of the work. The composition is divided into two distinct sections. On the left, wide, bold vertical stripes of orange, purple, pink, and olive green establish a steady, rhythmic cadence. To the right, this pattern shifts into a dense cluster of narrow, multicoloured lines. This transition creates a visual tension, where the eye is pulled from the broad, stable blocks of colour into the rapid, vibrating energy of the thinner stripes. The work avoids representational imagery, relying entirely on the interaction of hue and proportion to engage the observer. As a commemorative poster for the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program, the design balances the functional requirements of typography with the aesthetic rigour of Davis's abstract style. The text at the base is integrated into the overall graphic layout, maintaining the clean, geometric discipline characteristic of his output during the 1970s. The palette reflects the era's preference for warm, saturated tones, which Davis utilised to test the limits of colour theory and optical perception. This piece provides a clear example of how mid-century American abstraction moved away from gestural mark-making toward a more controlled, systematic application of paint and ink.