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Common Humanity

Artist: Robert Davis

Working in mixed media sculpture, Robert Davis integrates up-cycled found objects, built assemblies of wood, or adobe and an unfired

clay- like material he developed as an outgrowth from a trip through New Mexico several years ago. The remnants of old clay and mud structures, still standing after more than a 100 years of abandonment and neglect, seemed to have stories to tell. He developed a stabilized clay body, reminiscent of these structures, and a series of work came out attempting to capture the sense of mystery found in the desert, and the interaction of man and the earth. They are also covered, in some cases, with a stabilized slip, for color. Some elements have a stabilized Nevada County clay rubbed into the surface.

"Traumatic Stress" captures the feeling that “Something is about to happen, but you don’t know what it is”. The fear of the unknown is something homeless people deal with constantly. Stability in life is

completely lacking at times. Perhaps you have experienced standing in a spot and sensing something overhead or in the distance,

and you had that fear, yourself.
That fear of the unknown is a common experience for those without

a place to call home.

"Damaged Institution" represents a faltering support system that is damaged and not quite what it purports to be. The system is tough to get through, often doesn’t really serve those in need, and Bureaucrats

with a soul can be hard to find, especially for those without a support system already in place.

"Keep Moving" addresses the lack of sanctuary. Our homes are our

sanctuaries, and without a home, one has nowhere to go and to be. Without being able to stay in one place, sanctuary is never achieved.

This piece captures a sense of that constant shifting movement; an

unstable transitory life.

View Robert Davis's current work at FroggyMountainPottery.com

 

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