Joseph Davie

Joseph Davie was born in Glasgow in 1965. He studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1983 to 1987. He has won many awards and  has exhibited widely including solo exhibitions across Scotland as well as in London and Toronto, Canada.

His work is held in public and private collections including at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Glasgow Museum of Modern Art, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and the Hunterian Museum.

He began teaching in 1995 and currently teaches Art & Design at Levenmouth Academy in Fife.

Artist’s Statement:

Themes, new and old, that occur, interweave and clash:-

salvation and lostness – faith and the absence of – misplaced faith-modern day golden calves – light and darkness (spiritual/electrical) – mess, chaos and order – the worship of or tyranny of tv, interior design – identity – childhood memories, usually scandalously idealised – maths and electricity.

the cast:-

contemporary hapless heroes – anachronistic pilgrims – malevolent figures, (almost comic book) – confused or ambivalent figures – underwater figures and astronauts – a saviour – a prophet – dweebs, dunderheads and dipsticks – the sportsman, the swimmer – clumsy potter – boy who is mistaken for air/water/… – and the usual beautiful female lead for some scenes -a modern day Eve.

The plot and the losing thereof….
(a whiff of a narrative / half narratives):-

the meeting of two ideas/ people/ cultures… – broken narratives that raise questions – bringers of light or darkness or both – bringers of healing or disease or both – some greater or unseen battle – hiccups to faith – people out of their elements – preposterous propositions – encounterings.

the costumes:-

conspicuous camouflage – oceanic tribal garb – medieval pilgrim – swimming cap – naked / nude – native american stuff, tribal! – the runner outfit (how much more banal can you get than that?) – masked figures and numbered, nameless figures.

the sets

modern interiors – ambiguous spaces, (but hopefully pretty to look at) – simple land-scapes, (Scottish/Italian inspired).

the props:-

mirrors – free-standing lights – churches and towers – fire station towers – interior product – tv – books – storm-lamps etc….

artistic influences:-

Inuit art, Giotto and everything in between.