Ronald Davis

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Ronald Davis (a.k.a. Ron Davis), born 1937, is an American painter whose work is associated with Geometric abstraction, Abstract Illusionism, Lyrical Abstraction, Hard-edge painting, Shaped canvas painting, Color field painting, and 3D Computer Graphics. He is a veteran of nearly seventy solo exhibitions and hundreds of group exhibitions.

Ronald Davis, "Ring", 1968, 60 1/2 x 134", polyester resin and fiberglass; Collection: MoMA, NYC

1 Biography
2 Career
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Biography

Born in Santa Monica, California, he was raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In 1955-56 he attended the University of Wyoming. In 1959 at the age of 22 became interested in painting. In 1960-64 he attended the San Francisco Art Institute. Abstract Expressionism, the prevailing artistic movement of the time, would have an influence on many of his future works. In 1962 he was a Yale-Norfolk Summer School Grantee. In 1963 his paintings became hard-edged, geometric and optical in style, and by 1964 his works were shown in museums and galleries. Lived and worked in Los Angeles, CA 1965-71; Malibu, CA 1972-1990. Moved to Arroyo Hondo, NM in 1991-present.

[edit] Career

He had his first one person exhibition at the Nicholas Wilder Gallery in Los Angeles in 1965. From 1966-1972 Ron Davis created geometric shaped, illusionistic paintings using polyester resins and fiberglass. In 1966 he was an instructor at the University of California, Irvine. Also in that year he had his first one-man exhibition at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery in New York City and a solo exhibition at Leo Castelli Gallery in 1968. In the wake of these shows his works were acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Tate Gallery, London, the Los Angeles County Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago and he was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant.

[edit] References

Barbara Rose. American Painting. Part Two: The Twentieth Century. Published by Skira - Rizzoli, New York, 1969, pp. 230, 234. Color Plate: Disk, 1968
Michael Fried. "Ronald Davis: Surface and Illusion." Artforum, vol. 5, no. 8. April, 1967. pp. 37-41, Cover Illus.: Six-Ninths Blue, 1966
Barbara Rose. "Abstract Illusionism." Artforum, October 1967
Robert Hughes. "Ron Davis at Kasmin." Studio International, December 1968, vol. 176, no.906, pp 264-265.
Walter Darby Bannard. "Notes on American Painting of the Sixties." Artforum, January 1970, vol. 8, no. 5, pp.40-45.
John Elderfield. "New Paintings by Ron Davis." Artforum, vol. 9, no. 7, March 1971, pp. 32-34.
Paul Goldberger. "Studied Slapdash." The New York Times Magazine, January 18, 1976, pp. 48-50. Photos and article on Ron Davis’ Studio
Hilton Kramer. "The Return of Illusionism." The New York Times, Arts and Leisure. Sunday, May 28, 1978, p. 25