John Barley Corn from Series I presents a bold composition of vertical stripes in warm earth tones, ochres, and deep browns that cascade across the canvas with rhythmic precision. Created in 1969 as part of Davis's influential Series I portfolio, this screenprint demonstrates the artist's mastery of color field composition through the systematic arrangement of parallel lines that seem to vibrate and shift as the eye moves across the surface. The work's title references the traditional folk ballad and symbol of grain and harvest, yet Davis translates this cultural reference into pure abstraction, allowing the formal interplay of color and line to create emotional resonance rather than literal representation. The piece exemplifies Davis's distinctive contribution to Color Field painting, a movement he helped pioneer through his exploration of striped compositions that challenge viewers to experience color relationships with unprecedented intensity. Hand-pulled as a screenprint and laminated to board, this work from an edition of 150 carries the artist's signature and represents an important moment when Davis was translating his monumental mural paintings into a more intimate, collectible format. The careful selection and juxtaposition of earth tones creates a contemplative mood while the vertical orientation lends the composition a stately, almost architectural quality that rewards sustained viewing.