Davie elaborated on the beginnings of ‘Seascape Erotica’ shortly after it entered the Gallery of Modern Art’s collection in 1968 - "of course there was (as ever) no premeditated intention or idea– the title being as usual a poetic interpretation of the image added later… Seascape Erotica is one of these (for me) rare pictures where the paint becomes transformed as if by magic… even the white splashes taking [on] a tangible quality of 'something else'" Davie’s method of working evolved in the 1950s when he began working on several paintings at once, incorporating similar motifs and symbols into each. He was also now painting horizontally on the floor, which allowed his work to develop freely in any direction.