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Judith Davis
Judith Davis
BIO
Judith Davis grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts. She earned a BA, an MBA, and was awarded the distinction of Presidential Scholar. She spent a year studying in Paris with a group of twenty students and a professor who drove them all over France, visiting the great cathedrals and museums. She attributes her love for art to having been fortunate enough to visit the private studios of Picasso, Matisse, and Winslow Homer, and to her years as an executive, travelling to cities at home and abroad, where she always made time to visit art galleries and museums.
In 2001, Judith Davis retired from a successful career as an executive in the high-tech industry. A month after retiring, she 'unplugged' from that world, left her laptop and cell phone at home, and took a self-imposed five-month sabbatical to Malolo Island, off the coast of Fiji. Known worldwide for their capacity to nurture, the Fijians recognized Judith's need to guard her privacy while she slowly recovered from the relentless demands of the ever-changing world of communication dictated by the internet. Sleeping, writing, and swimming in the South Pacific Ocean gradually helped wash away the remnants of that rat race. What emerged was the desire for a more contemplative, introspective, and creative life. In 2010, Judith rescued her first piece of found metal and made it into a wall sculpture, thus becoming a self-taught sculptor.
Judith lives with her husband and artisan, John, Lily the cat, and her beloved hearing dog, Annabel, where she makes both her home and studio on Aquidneck Island, in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, six miles from Newport.
STATEMENT
JUDITH DAVIS - ARTIST STATEMENT
I describe my emergence as an artist as a "Tsunami of the Soul".
My life as a sculptor10 years ago while rummaging around antique barns finding myself mysteriously drawn to the sculptural beauty and patina of discarded rusty metal. So-called junk, discarded materials harm our environment and beckon, challenge and drive me to rescue and recreate these pieces into works of art. I am secretive about the origins of the various elements of my work. And, at the risk of being called eccentric, I can say that these found objects tell me what they want to be.
I think of my sculptures as my "voice" in the world. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in July 2020, I am determined to leave a Legacy of Love & Laughter through my Sculptures, my Writing, and my Work with the Alzheimer's Association More than ever before, my work represents what matters most to me - Advocacy for Alzheimer's Disease Awareness and the Cure for ALZ. I now donate 50% of earnings from my Alzheimer's Research, Care & Support.
My sculptures speak about what is closest to my heart: Women's Rights, Race and Ethnic Conflicts, the Arts, Education, Civil Discourse, Domestic Terrorism and the Environment.
Inspired by my fascination with Carl Jung's archetypal shadow work, the sculptures that emerge are works whose beauty is illuminated and intensified by shadows.
Ode to the Middle East
Ode to the Middle East eulogizes the Women and Families as well as centuries-old Mosques, Cathedrals, Synagogues and Minarets destroyed by terrorists around the world.
Requiem for Odette
Requiem for Odette represents my Love for Ballet as it lifts my Spirits in the Quest for Equality for Female Dancers and Entertainers worldwide.
Judith Davis
United States
Pemberley
Pemberley, my personal favorite, was inspired by Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, and reminds me daily that the fight for Women's Rights, and Voting Rights continues today as I pen my memoir entitled, "Legacy of Love & Laughter", and subtitled, "Watching Marbles fall out of my Brain!".
Convivencia
"Convivencia" refers to a time back in the 14th Century when Christians, Jews & Muslims lived in relative Harmony in the Middle East; and I pray every day that our world undergoes a sort of Neo-Convivencia wherein Women and Men, no matter their Religion, Sexual Choices, Ethnic Origin, or Political affiliation, will respect and love one another because We are All One, or UBUNTU, as Africans might declare.