Rob Davies Studied on the Fine Art degree at Staffordshire University, followed a while later by an M.A Illustration: Authorial Practice at Falmouth College of Arts.
He is often pulled towards the notion of a romantic ‘sublime’ (or at least the sublime as typical in 18th and 19th century depictions of landscape) contrasting with a reality that could be seen as less ‘pleasing’ – and more recently combining elements from semi-industrial/semi-wild environments into landscapes that hover somewhere between believable and Sci-fi.
Within the creation of these semi-imaginary landscapes is the acknowledgement of the mind’s tendencies to interrupt the ordinary world. More recently he has been steering further towards a kind of ‘fantastic realism’, synthesised with/ and contrasting alongside a gestural mark-making. The paintings, using a variety of media from watercolour to oils, often depict landscapes as both fragmented and also in a state of becoming alive.
The work often plays with the idea of marks being just that – marks, as well as becoming something much more ‘sophisticated’ and creating forms and illusions. His early work was much more gestural and expressive, with simple lines and marks being strongly evident, and which is now making more of a presence again in the work. However, the subject matter of, say, an old house with still life, has an almost kitch-ness to it, and a typical mysteriousness to it, which, on one level, is simply enjoyable to paint.
‘(The larger works demonstrate) a refreshing talent and immediacy…
a strange, edgy contrast between Turner and popular culture’
Terry Duffy, writing for Art In Liverpool
Solo Exhibitions
‘Sacred Landfill’ at 32 Market street, Hoylake, 5th June 2018
Theatr Clwyd, Mold, Flintshire, 31st April to 20th May 2018.
‘Off The Tracks’ in The Spotlight Gallery, Dean Clough,
Halifax, U.K, September 2016
http://robdaviesfineart.com/2018/12/12/the-spotlight-gallery-dean-clough-in-halifax-u-k/
‘Vital Energy’ – at The Albert Dock, Liverpool, April 2008
http://robdaviesfineart.com/2018/12/12/vital-energy-at-the-albert-dock/
Solo exhibition ‘Moving Air’ (the interaction of music and visual images)
At Blackthorn Galleries, Birkenhead. November 1997
Group Exhibitions
Output Gallery, 32 Seel Street, Liverpool. From 18th September 2021
http://robdaviesfineart.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2933&action=edit
Looking At The Reflection Of Reality, Mark Devereux Associates, at Castlefield New spaces, Manchester, 2014
http://robdaviesfineart.com/2018/12/12/looking-at-the-reflection-of-reality/
Cork Street Open Exhibition, London, 2012
‘Best of Merseyside artists’ exhibition, as part of the biennial, 2010, organised by Editions Gallery, held at the Conservation centre, Liverpool.
LAN – Liverpool Artists’ Network, in ‘Novas’ Contemporary Urban Centre, as part of the Liverpool Biennial, 20th September 2008.
http://robdaviesfineart.com/2018/12/16/novas/
http://robdaviesfineart.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2274&action=edit
The alTURNERtive Art Prize, The View Two Gallery, Liverpool, November 2007 to January 2008.
Part of the group exhibition ‘ReNew ‘06’ at John Moores University Gallery, Liverpool – April, 2006.
Organised, and exhibited in group exhibition at Waterstones bookshop, Piccadilly, London. Sept 2004
Visionfest, Albert Dock, Liverpool. 1997
‘Candid Arts’, Islington. 1995
Hanover Galleries, Liverpool. 1994/ ‘95
Group exhibition as part of ‘The 218 project’ (the name of the bus route from Stoke-on-Trent to Leek) – ‘A tribute to packaging’: transforming and altering the images on disposable packages. Work displayed in a public House, near Leek. Spring 1993
Public Art Projects
´Work On The Line´, Edge Hill Station, Liverpool. 2015
Commissions
2004 The Guardian newspaper
2000 United Utilites/ North West Water
Work in Public collections . Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Artist In residence at Metal Culture, Edge Hill Station, Liverpool,
September 2014 – September 2015