Davids '69 Exhibits Mixed-Media Works in California

 

Dates and location: Feb. 8 – April 30, 2014 at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, 1 Ritz-Carlton Dr., Dana Point, Calif.

 

The artist: A prolific artist, Davids’ paintings have been displayed in many galleries. “The art I create is representational,” he wrote in the exhibition’s press release. “However, my conception of representational art is infused with abstractions. … I lend a personal interpretation to my subjects with attitudes that range from compassion to whimsy.” Davids has his hands in multiple art forms: At Princeton he won numerous awards in writing, and he has written and directed eight films, including Jesus in India and Starry Night, about Vincent van Gogh. Davids and his wife, Hollace Davids, co-wrote six Star Wars sequel novels. His collaborator, Metzger, has a background in abstract art and music and lives in Albuquerque, N.M.

The works: This collection was created in Santa Fe and includes tributes to Vincent van Gogh and Andy Warhol. The works are three-dimensional oil paintings on canvas and alder wood that incorporate twisted fabrics, polished stone, dyes, and epoxy resins. Davids and Metzger turned the fabrics and other materials into dramatic skyscrapers, gigantic waves, cliffs, mountains, coves, clouds, and towering flowers. The works are large in both scale and scope: Two of the works measure 8 feet in length, and subjects range from “The Spirit of Vincent” to “65 Million Years Ago,” which depicts the moment before the impact of the comet that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.