Alan Davie
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Alan Davie
(b Grangemouth, Scotland, 28 Sept 1920). Scottish painter and printmaker. He trained as a painter at Edinburgh College of Art from 1938 to 1940, initially favouring poetic imagery and coming into contact with modernism at exhibitions held in London of works by Picasso (1945; V&A) and Paul Klee (1945; Tate). He explored a diverse range of activities, however, before returning to painting: from 1949 to 1953 he earned his living by making jewellery and in 1947 he worked as a jazz musician, an activity he continued in later life. He wrote poetry during the early 1940s.
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Alan Davie
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James Alan Davie (born September 28, 1920)[1] is a Scottish painter and musician.
He was born in Grangemouth and studied at Edinburgh College of Art in the late 1930s.[2] An early exhibition of his work came through the Society of Scottish Artists. He also has a great love for Cornwall.
After the Second World War, Davie played tenor saxophone in the highly-regarded Tommy Sampson Orchestra, which was based in Edinburgh but broadcast and toured in Europe.[3]
Davie travelled widely and in Venice became influenced by other painters of the period, such as Paul Klee, Jackson Pollock and Joan Miró, as well as by a wide range of cultural symbols.[1] In particular, his painting style owes much to his affinity with Zen. Having read Eugen Herrigel's book Zen in the Art of Archery (1953) he has assimilated the spontaneity which Zen emphasises. Declaring that the spiritual path is incompatible with planning ahead, he has attempted to paint as automatically as possible, which is intended to bring forth elements of his unconscious.[4] In this, he shares a vision with surrealist painters such as Miro, and he has also been fascinated by the work of seminal psychoanalyst Carl Jung.
Like Pollock, many of Davie's works have been executed by standing above the painting, which is laid on the ground. He adds layers of paint until sometimes the original painting has been covered over many times. However, despite the speed at which he works (he has usually had several paintings on the go at once), he is adamant that his images are not pure abstraction, but all have significance as symbols.[4]
Championing the primitive, he sees the role of the artist as akin to that of the shaman, and has remarked upon how disparate cultures have adopted common symbols in their visual languages.
As well as painting, whether on canvas or paper (he has stated that he prefers to work on paper), Davie has recently[when?] produced several screenprints. He found a public for his work on the continent and in America some time before the British art public could reconcile itself to his mixture of ancient and newly invented of symbols and his explosive brushwork. His paintings appear at once apocalyptic and triumphant. In his lectures Davie stressed the importance of improvisation as his chosen method. His stance was that of an inspired soothsayer resisting the inroads of rational civilization.[5]
Musically, Davie also plays piano, cello and bass clarinet. In the early 1970s his interest in free improvisation led into a close association with the percussionist Tony Oxley.[6] His paintings have also inspired music by others, notably the bassist and composer Barry Guy.[7][8]
Davie is currently working on a 40 metre watercolour which he calls his great masterpiece. He has sworn that it will be complete before he dies.
External links
- Works in the National Galleries of Scotland
- Works in the Tate Collection
- Works by Alan Davie at Alan Wheatley Art
References
- ^ a b "Davie, Alan". FMP (Free Music Production). http://www.fmp-online.de/emusicians/Davie_Alan.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ Livingstone, Cheryl (2010-06-16). "New exhibition celebrates Grangemouth artist". Falkirk Herald. http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/features/New-exhibition-celebrates-Grangemouth-artist.6366236.jp. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- ^ Gilchrist, Jim (2008-04-23). "Leader of the band". The Scotsman. http://living.scotsman.com/features/-Leader-of-the-band.4008754.jp. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ a b "Past Exhibitions: Alan Davie: Jingling Space". Tate St Ives. http://www.tate.org.uk/stives/exhibitions/davie/. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ Lynton, Norbert (1983). The Story of Modern Art. Prentice Hall.
- ^ "Tony Oxkey Biography: New Interests". Index of Musicians Biographies. http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608002906/Tony-Oxley.html. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ "Barry Guy". British Composers Project. http://www.composer.co.uk/composers/guy.html. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
- ^ "GLASGOW IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA WITH BARRY GUY: FALKIRK". FMR Records. http://www.fmr-records.com/pdffiles/FMRCD168-i0905.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
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Oxford Grove Art
The Concise Grove Dictionary of Art. Copyright © 2002 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved.
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Mentioned in
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David Hockney
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The Tony Oxley Alan Davie Duo
(1975 Album by Tony Oxley/Alan Davie)
The Advocate
(2007 Album by Tony Oxley)
Symmetries
(2002 Album by Barry Guy)
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