When creating this painting, Davie tried to rid his mind of conscious decision-making. He abandoned traditional methods of composition and subject matter and strove to paint with complete freedom. This approach was influenced by the artist's interest in Zen Buddhism. The work was painted on two large pieces of board, laid on the floor. Davie had to stand on the board itself to reach the centre of the painting. This is one of his first paintings to incorporate footprints, some of which belong to his young daughter, Jane.
Alan Davie (Scottish, born 1920)
Davie was born in Grangemouth, near Edinburgh and studied at Edinburgh College of Art. In 1948 he saw the work of the American Abstract Expressionists and was impressed by their intensity and freedom. Davie abandoned traditional methods of composition and subject matter and sought to free his art from premeditated decision-making. This approach owes much to the artist's interest in Zen Buddhism and there is also an analogy with jazz - Davie was a jazz saxophonist early on in his career. In the later 1950s and 1960s Davie's brushwork became more controlled and the imagery more legible. Mysterious symbols began to appear, found in sources as varied as American Indian pottery, maps, ancient rock-carvings and Aboriginal art.
