Noah Davis

by Noah Davis

Providing a crucial record of the painter Noah Davis’s extraordinary oeuvre, this monograph tells the story of a brilliant artist and cultural force through the eyes of his friends and collaborators.

Despite his exceedingly premature death at the age of 32, Davis’s paintings have deeply influenced the rise of figurative and representational painting in the twenty-first century. Davis’s emotionally charged work places him firmly in the canon of great American painting. Stirring, elusive, and attuned to the history of painting, his compositions infuse scenes from everyday life with a magical realist atmosphere and contain traces of his abiding interest in artists such as Marlene Dumas, Kerry James Marshall, Fairfield Porter, and Luc Tuymans.

This catalogue is born of the unique relationship between Davis and Helen Molesworth, whom Davis entrusted to be the curator of his work. It is published on the occasion of the 2020 exhibition at David Zwirner, New York, which travels to The Underground Museum in Los Angeles, a space that Davis founded with his wife, artist Karon Davis. In her introduction, catalogue essay, and interviews with important figures in Davis’s life, Molesworth shows how the artist’s generosity and sense of responsibility galvanized a uniquely supportive artistic community, culture, and vision. Together with color illustrations and archival photographs, the book features heartfelt testimonials that unfold in the intimate yet expansive spirit of studio visits with people close to him.

Genres: Art

176 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author with this name on GR

Reviews

[Obi Agwam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book does exactly what it intends. It tells you about the beginnings of the Underground Museum and tells the story of the late artist Noah Davis.

The book I structured and it features high quality photos of some of Davis best work. There’s not much I can say is wrong with the book.

[Cursta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing and the art are beautiful, vulnerable, and chilling.

[Stevie Ada · Rating 5 out of 5]

When considering how and why we write about and remember an artist's visual culture, it is important to have reminders of thoughtful ways of honoring a career and life. With Helen Molesworth's gentle and guiding vision, this catalogue teems with radiance and beauty. In particular, an essay that functions as an afterword, "Some Years Count as Double" * - which can also be found in its original publication for Artforum, is heartfelt, and ends with a matched vision to what is expressed by Noah's dedication to community-building and careful making.

*https://www.artforum.com/passages/hel...