Davie had used symbols in his work since the 1950s, but when this picture was painted, they were becoming of increasing importance. The eye and the 'ankh' symbol (a cross with a loop at the top) have their origins in Egyptian hieroglyphics. The 'ankh' is a sign for life, but also appears in the art of other cultures, with different and sometimes unknown meanings. The location of the signs and symbols in a room-like space and the clear structure of the painting, are features of Davie's art from 1968 onwards.
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.
![Barbaric Tales No. 2 [Opus O.596H]](http://www.nationalgalleries.org/media/42/collection/GMA 4115.jpg)
