One element of Ian Davenport’s work that has remained constant over the years has been the act of pouring paint. This is a chancy activity, unpredictable and impossible to control with absolute precision. Because of this Davenport has always needed to keep a sharply critical eye: he edits his output, choosing from among several versions of the “same” painting the one that best achieves the desired effect. The clarity and assurance of the new paintings that were recently shown at Waddington and Riding House Editions demonstrated that his quality control is as good as ever, and that his command