Leigh Davis: Further into Abstraction
14-30 April
“In solitude I was able to find an incredibly deep emotional response to the experiences I’d had in these locations, an energy and dynamic which spread right across everything I did - in mark making, colour and composition” – Leigh Davis
For his eagerly awaited second solo exhibition at The Nine British Art, Leigh Davis presents a vivid and expressive collection of new painting and sculpture - a thoughtful, atmospheric, and moving product of a period in which the Staffordshire artist’s gaze turned inwards.
Davis’ exhibition, Further into Abstraction, is grounded in the events of the past year as his working environment contracted to a new studio in the corner of a rural walled garden. His initial sources of inspiration - coastlines, abandoned mining structures, harbours, dilapidated boats - became increasingly distant in his mind as the fluid themes and forms within these disparate landscapes combined in memory to evoke deeper feelings and emotions, rather than distinct representations of specific places.
This is a purposeful, energetic series of paintings in which Davis is more focused on composition, colour and mark making than ever before.
Such sense of adventure is repeated in his sculpture, where lockdown forced him to use found objects in his assemblages, using offcuts sourced from a cabinet-maker friend, an old railway sleeper, antique Meccano. There is a fascinating energy and tension in these bold works which signal a new direction in his long association with sculpture.
Despite chronicling a year of solitude and isolation, Further into Abstraction isfull of vivacity and fresh ideas, a refinement of Davis’ gaze which confirms him as one of our most exciting contemporary artists.
The exhibition publication is available on request.
Leigh Davis was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire in 1976 and spent his childhood in nearby Broseley and Much Wenlock. After initial education he studied Silversmithing and Jewellery in Birmingham between 1995 and 1997, before taking a combined degree in Ceramics, Woods, Metals and Plastics at the University of Wolverhampton.
After completing his studies, Davis took up his first studio and continued to develop his artistic language. Drawing from a deep appreciation for sculptural form, Davis’ work focuses on the deconstruction of landscapes, man-made structures, and derelict industrial buildings. He paints predominantly in oil, creating bold, abstract works that capture the transient aesthetics of their subject matter.
Now working from his own self-built studio in the corner of an idyllic walled garden in Staffordshire, Davis has expanded his artistic vocabulary to include assemblages constructed from found and recycled objects. In recent years, he has been hugely inspired by the rich and varied coastlines of Cornwall, notably the Isles of Scilly, and the broad landscapes and natural beauty of Suffolk.
Davis has been exhibiting widely across Britain since 2012 with his first major solo exhibition held at The Nine British Art in 2018. He now exhibits and works exclusively with the Gallery and has numerous works in private collections both nationally and internationally.
Exhibition opening hours: Monday - Saturday 11am - 5pm (7pm on Wednesdays)
