Peeping Wall by Gene Davis (1960)

A wall of vertical stripes stands before you. This is Peeping Wall, painted in 1960 by Gene Davis. Thin ribbons of sapphire, slate, and cherry run floor to ceiling, each edge crisp against the next. The colors don’t blend; they press together like books on a shelf. A single stripe of lemon yellow peeks through near the center, as if the wall itself is holding its breath. Hang it where light shifts across the room—above a console, beside a doorway—so the stripes seem to lean in or step back as you pass.