May 2020: Ralph Davis

Ralph Davis “Over the years my painting has spanned a number of styles. Most recently I have been interested in the combination of the hard-edged otherworldly formality of the geometric figure with the less formal organic soft-edges of the natural world. This tension between the soft form and the hard edge or the natural and the formal may be extended to a similar tension between the finite and the infinite, or, in Plato’s terms, the earthly realm of coming to be and passing away, and the eternal, unchanging realm of Forms. These geometric constructions often convey to me a sense of discovery, of being in the presence of something significant, or on the threshold of a complex realm of things not well understood. My intention has been to avoid cognitive contrivance and the domination of linear thinking and to elicit more complex responses on both a conscious and unconscious level. I have tried to accomplish this by presenting images and situations where immediate recognition and cursory viewing are insufficient to fully engage with the visual material. Thus, each painting leaves work to be done and invites the artistic and interpretive participation of the viewer.”