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In addition to artists from other
countries, Davis looks for U.S. artists whose work
evokes international issues.
"Our goal is to bridge the
gaps between cultures through art," he says.
"We don't have a gallery that's going to show
flowers and landscapes."
Davis, 46, opened the second-floor
gallery across from the Woodley Metro stop five years
ago. He also teaches high-school computer graphics,
but finds time at night to paint at his Alexandria
home.
Currently Davis is exhibiting his
own paintings -- his first show in three years --
under the title "Human Spirit," along with
Arab American artist Helen Zughaib's show, "Tribute."
A D.C. resident, Zughaib wants to promote a dialogue
with the Arab world through her paintings, which look
like collages of colorful, intricate designs.
Davis addresses the universal feelings
of passion, loneliness, despair, security, love, hope,
camaraderie and stress.
"I'm an observer," he
says. "I watch people and try to understand them."
A trained sculptor, Davis works
three-dimensional imagery into some paintings using
fabric and plaster. He enjoys the tactile feeling
of manipulating the work with his fingers. He uses
warm, rich colors, like orange, red and yellow, and
most of his black figures are faceless, allowing the
viewer to more easily project onto them.
"I'm trying to create some
kind of emotion," he says. "I want a person
to be able to see the insides -- the spirit"
of the men, women and children in the paintings.
Davis is excited when people click
with artists and their work.
"I think that's how spirits
connect," he says. "That's part of the reason
that I paint."
A Smashing Idea
People often talk about items going
"under the hammer" at auction, but Ladyfest
is taking that expression literally. At an art auction
next week, if pieces aren't sold for their artistic
merit, they'll be re-auctioned, and the highest bidder
will destroy them.
"I think I'll be doing a couple
things specially designed for smashability,"
says jeweler Courtney Gillen, who uses sterling silver,
glass and freshwater pearls in her pieces.
Gillen is one of nine artists who
have committed to donating a dozen pieces to "Under
the Velvet Hammer," a fundraiser for Ladyfest
DC, a women-run arts and music festival set for Aug.
7-11.
A full-time artist, Gillen travels
the craft show circuit and has heard about auctions
where pieces that don't get bid on get smashed onstage.
Once people see that, they tend to bid more freely,
not wanting more art to be ruined.
When Gillen told Faith Flanagan,
a member of Ladyfest's visual arts committee, about
these "hammer auctions," Flanagan liked
the idea.
"The first round bid on each
item will be for the purchase of the artwork. That
is our focus," Flanagan says. "If the piece
is not sold, the second round bid will be for the
opportunity to destroy the said artwork."
Like Gillen, Christopher Lee is
excited about the prospect of his art being demolished.
He's donating three small drawings in the dada tradition.
His work rejects conventional ideas about gender and
sexual issues.
"They're meant to kinda shock
and provoke a reaction," he says. "They
are kinda ugly, but they are ugly-beautiful, so maybe
they'll touch the nurturing side of somebody."
But if no one bids to buy his art,
he says, destroying it would be "a perfect extension
of the work's intent."
Flanagan is hoping to have more
items to auction, but isn't pressuring artists to
participate.
"I'm sure that there are artists
out there who would be hesitant," she says.
Flanagan isn't sure whether any
art actually will be destroyed, though smashing some
lumpy ashtray has its appeal. Someone will have to
get the idea going that night.
Flanagan says, "We'll
see who the first brave person is."
Human Spirit is at International Visions,
2629 Connecticut Ave. NW, through May 25, with "Tribute"
by Helen Zughaib. Wednesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
and Friday-Saturday noon-7 p.m. Call 202-234-5112
or visit www.inter-visions.com
Under the Velvet Hammer: An Art Auction
to Benefit Ladyfest DC is at Metro Cafe, 1522 14th
St. NW, May 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. $7. For more information
and to donate art (the deadline is tomorrow), call
202-546-0334 or e-mail UrbanGrrl@bust.com
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