Friday, July 8, 2011

Creative Hue Salutes, Eddie Davis - Ceramic Artist, on display at, Baobab Cultural Center





Professor, Eddie Davis’s work needs few words. Although his pottery is elegant in their own right, his busts, whisper and draw you closer, like the familiarity of old and dear friends. They are conversational, inward and outward, moving the viewer to ponder and ask, assess, answer and state, “yes these are special.” On display at the Baobab Cultural Center [7/2 thru 8/27], as part of the exhibit, “Traditional Beats & New Rhythms,” featuring the artworks of three of western New York’s native sons and premiere artists, Jack White, Jim Pappas and Eddie Davis. Unfortunately, due to illness, Professor Eddie Davis was unable to attend but his work speaks volumes.

3 comments:

  1. Professor Davis:

    Your work is over the top. While at the reception, I engaged in several different discussions with different people in awe of your work. Like people, this work, when viewed from different angles provides a, "3D" emotional experience. From one view, a profound sadness might be observed, while another view, one is frozen by simply observing the beauty and yet another, like a beautiful woman, there is the seduction to want to caress these tactile profiles. The subtle modulation of whispering colors in the materials or processes used is simply incredible. The two pieces of pottery displayed, although modern, felt like precious antiquities unearthed. Thank you for sharing your work with this community.

    O. Ayorinde

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  2. Awe inspiring is but two words of a thousand. Some of the techniques Eddie has incorporated where beyond my belief.

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  3. I was particularly drawn at the exhibit to this sculpture (shown on the lower left hand corner in the accompanying photo) because of the energy emanating from it. At first, from the angle of display, I saw his attractive features: his cheek which looked so real I wanted to caress it holding the structure of his cheekbone in my palm; and his lips, beautifully full and angular. The figure resonates a life energy-- variations of color particularly around its edges in the gallery lights immediately draw the viewer closer.

    From a different angle, I saw the other side of his face and was struck at the metaphor of how we, people, sometimes look whole from certain vantage points when we also contain scars and even disfigurement. Uncertain, I asked myself: was this piece intentionally left incomplete on one side? was this modeled in full from a real person? if so had the person been disfigured in war? what had happened? Was the physical disfigurement a metaphor for trauma not physically detected?

    Looking closely, I saw markings of the artist's fingertips in the clay stained darker in some areas. In my mind's eye, I sensed the artist at work honoring his emotions and as his palms warmed the clay forming this piece which relays human spirit so keenly. I left this piece with an understanding of the importance of being sensitive to trauma even in the face--literally --of beauty.

    Thank you for your work.

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