Polar Series

(Tondos on diamonds) 2021-2024

The Polar Series paintings began in June, 2021. I had not put paint to canvas in 15 years, so it was a slow start.  I began with some small rectangular paintings, but as I worked, the desire to “find the center” became my mission.  My inspiration turned out to be one of my earliest and best paintings, Target, 1963, a 16-inch acrylic on canvas work painted on a circular chair bottom I found in an abandoned room at my old Primalon Roller Rink studio in San Francisco. The concentric sections and dark/light contrasts in Target got me thinking about spherical tops and bottoms, and opposite poles of light-dark, black-white, up-down. I mounted the circles on square backings to better define their objecthood, and to “protect” them. My artist friend Fred Smith suggested I try installing the backings as diamonds instead, which I think was a great idea.  — Ron Davis

The Polar Series paintings began in June, 2021. I had not put paint to canvas in 15 years, so it was a slow start.  I began with some small rectangular paintings, but as I worked, the desire to “find the center” became my mission. My inspiration turned out to be one of my earliest and best paintings, Target, 1963, a 16-inch acrylic on canvas work. The concentric sections and dark/light contrasts in Target got me thinking about spherical tops and bottoms, and opposite poles of light-dark, black-white, up-down.