artist statement
My work is fundamentally linear. I think in terms of lines- how they intersect, interact or overlap to create dynamic designs. The designs of Islamic, Asian and western art as well as the natural forms in nature have all become part of my vocabulary. My work often displays an interplay between organic and geometric, symmetry and asymmetry or positive and negative spaces. Since I was a teen I have always loved to draw trees. I love their uneven, asymmetrical undulations, their graceful gestures like dancers, and the interplay of their branches like calligraphy. Mutation is an essential part of my creative process and a regular theme in my work. Multiple images or multiple layers have figured in my work recently and refer to the different aspects to an entity or different layers of consciousness. Chance or unexpected occurrences bring valuable elements to my creative process. I respect things that appear as if by “mistake” as they usually produce an effect greater than one I could invent. My father, also an artist, once said that “being an artist is like sailing a rudderless ship”. Not being entirely in control requires that we be fully conscious and honest.
Chris R Davis