Revue Céramique & Verre Nº 136 mai/juin 2004
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                English translation of the Revue Céramique & Verre Nº 136 mai/juin 2004
                        From Revue Céramique & Verre n° 136, may/june 2004

 Dwight Davidson

A small universe of about 4 to 16 inches, where animals get humanized the wrong way, aping our burlesque situations. Gathered, put into situation, they are set to play out our human beatitudes: the kid fights; the stretching; the big lady in awe in front of the TV set; the chit-chatting, cross-legged on the sofa; the happy tourist, black sunglasses on the nose, spreading his map, behind the wheel of Buick convertible from the 50’s; the dreamer trying to get the moon out of the trees. The pink pigs have a drink around a cask; the frogs play poker or dance to the music coming out of the record player; the blue hippopotamus lays down on a leather armchair; and the giraffes, at a table, bend their necks around a Paris souvenir photo album. There are as many a situation where cows keep coming back, as they are part of the childhood’s universe, back when Dwight Davidson, then living on a farm in Idaho, use to go into the fields and bring them back, in the colored sparkle that precedes sunset.
Is it because his mother use to be a high school art teacher? In spite of his love for animals, he dreams of attending Fine Arts school. Dream fulfilled and in the early 80’s: he starts by creating jewelry, which will leave him with a taste for miniature figures, then dedicates himself to painting with an option in ceramics. After a while, Dwight Davidson settled down in Denver, and finds passion in clay and what it enables him to do: evocation of the animals in a real Noah’s Arc, where he shapes ducks, panthers, cows, penguins, and others.
With him, clay acquires a form that has an astonishing life to it. Every modeled piece is unique, with a life of their own. The artist’s favorite moment is when the sculpture breaks free of it’s confinement of being just clay. Some small pieces are made on a pottery wheel and then these shapes are distorted. With a miniaturist’s patience, each sculpture it cut apart and hollowed out. The entire sculpture is then reconstructed by reattaching each part with slip, and after doing so the surface appears perfectly smooth. To obtain such detail Dwight uses wooden sculpting tools or a brush very finely coated with liquid clay and in this manner he developed a way of drawing and painting with clay. For other details, Dwight Davidson uses the computer, scans the image and transfers it by way of silk screening ceramic materials that will remain on the surface after firing. A taste for trompe l’œil, makes him imitate the shine of the chrome of cars or the material of tires– manganese and copper dioxide in a glaze base.
Dwight Davidson is having fun and develops like a game, the virtuosity of his techniques of firing and formulating glazes. Chemistry helps him to find the nuance. For example, he has created a chart of glaze samples which have been fired to 1841°F., varying the amount of copper and writing down his results like a medieval scribe, to create a real “Book of Hours” of his studio and all his techniques, hand-written in five extraordinary notebooks.
A philosopher, Dwight Davidson, again influenced by his contact with nature, and somehow a step back from our world, knows how to portray it with a smiling parody. His universe, half-ugly, half-mean, offers a sympathetic view of ourselves. Somewhat like “Les Caractères” by La Bruyère, or the malicious bestiary of Benjamin Rabier, underlining the artificial aspect of our world. A kind of amused “vanity”. A searcher and virtuoso, Dwight Davidson is a smiling wise man. Besides his work in ceramics, he continues to paint.

M.E.-G

Translated from French into English by L.F.

Dwight Davidson held an exhibit in November 2003, at the “La Découverte” gallery, 42 bis, rue Boursault 75017 Paris which keeps his work on permanent display.
 

N0º351 du 18Nov. 2003 ARTS GAZETTE INTERNATIONAL ---

> Dwight DAVIDSON I'humour en trois dimensions Par Christian GERMAK

Vaches folies et humour fou, Vaches Cochonnes et Cochons vaches, font la leçon aux grenouilles gourmandes de grosses mouches bien grasses et bien croquantes, tandis que les girafes au long coup se grattent le dos sur la tour Eiffel, tout ou pleurant des larmes de Croque Odile, devant les petites cartes postales trompe-l'oeil de leurs jeunes années et du voyage de noces à Paris, précieusement gardées dans I'album de families Vous I'avez compris oui, c'est cela, Dwight Davidson est un humorist. Vous I'avez constaté, oui, Dwight Davidson est un artiste de talent qui a choisi de déverser son humour dans des figurines de céramique, accompagnées de sculptures de bronze plus sérieuses et emplies de symboles. Mais le rire est sérieux lui aussi puisqu'il guérit. Le sourire qui naît de I'humour est également trés sérieux puisqu'il nourrit l'esprit et fait fleurir une joie intérieure. Sculpteur animalier Dwight Davidson, a choisi cette voie particulièrement difficile qui joint les talents d'un chansonnier à ceux d'un artiste. Par le dessin, par sa mise en scène, Dwight Davidson nous raconte avec aisance des histoires courtes, en utilisant la langue universelle des arts picturaux. Mais si les animaux empruntent aux hommes leurs allures et leurs expressions, ce n'est qu'un juste rendu des choses, car eux les humains empruntent aux animaux, sans leur rendre, leur goût plus ou moins savoureux qui s'épanouit dans leurs assiettes. Pour eux aussi en échange d'un sourire dont ils ne perçoivent que les dents gourmandes.

Jusqu'au 19 décembre Galerie : La Découverte 42 bis, rue Boursault 75017 Paris Tel. : 1 45 22 15 1 1