Dizzy, 24 x 30 inches, oil on canvas.
56
WBM april 2018
Davis says his jazz and blues pieces are
intentionally quite different from his other
work. They have an improvisational feeling,
echoing the nature of the music and musi-cians
he depicts.
“My work is always full of intense colors
and dark shadows,” he says. “These are
more strictly in black, whites and grays, but
with small splashes of bright colors; they
actually have a jazz-like feel. They’re not
realistic and they aren’t abstract, but some-where
in the middle.”
Every image Davis makes, from portraits
of sharecroppers working in fields to mem-bers
of Niger royalty, is sensitive to the dis-tinct
personality and context of the subject.
The artist’s degree in sociology and vora-cious
appetite for reading about the lives of
historical figures suggest that he finds the
psyche and details of human experience
compelling.
This interest is evident in the other paint-ings
in the Jazz and Blues series.
In “Say it Loud,” a portrait of James
Brown, Davis channels the style of the
1970s. Captured on top of a geometric
background of bold, orangey browns and
yellows, the incomparable singer seems
to glisten, perhaps with a combination of
sweat and stage lighting. Mid-performance,
he pulls the microphone close to his face
and looks away from an imagined audi-ence.
The muscles of Brown’s arms ripple
with effort and the tight position of his
body gives an impression of reserved
kinetic energy, like a spring about to
release.
In “Sir Duke,” Davis captures the
acclaimed Duke Ellington in a quiet
moment. The close-up view of the illustri-ous
pianist and bandleader depicts him
in regal profile. The lush combination of
browns and near-purples that make up the
Duke’s surroundings and silky suit jacket
recall royal portraiture in both color and
tone. Davis applies heavy-handed contrast,
with stark white and a warm yellow provid-ing
light to the piece and sumptuous dark
shades for both the contemplative figure
and the background that seems to sparkle
Sir Duke, 40 x 30 inches, oil on canvas. and shift around him.