John Davis (sculptor)

For other people named John Davis, see John Davis (disambiguation).

John Davis
Born	John Davis 1936 (1936)
Known for	Sculpture
Notable work	Tree Piece Fish and Pebbles
Movement	Arte Povera

John Davis (16 September 1936 – 17 October 1999) was an Australian sculptor and pioneer of Environmental art.

Early life

Born in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, he studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Caulfield institute of technology and Melbourne Teachers College before becoming a lecturer at Prahran College of Advanced Education.

Work

An Australian exponent of Arte povera, he famously developed a new mode of Site-specific art at the Mildura Sculpture Triennial in the early 1970s. His most influential work, which was entitled Tree Piece, was made by encasing the trunks of several growing trees on the banks of the Murray River with, alternately, papier mache, mud, latex, coiled string, plastic cling wrap, and twigs bound together. The impermanent work was then allowed to weather and rot away. It was a breakthrough which lead many sculptors to reconsider the fate of outdoor works, and whether the fabrication of art might in some way adversely impact on the environment.

Taking his cues from Aboriginal artifacts, Davis later became chiefly known for tender assembled works made of natural materials, including leaves and twigs, intended to highlight the fragile beauty of nature.

His sculpture, Bicycle II (1976), was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia.

See also

• Environmental sculpture

Sources

• Artlink

Further reading

• 1988 Sculpture of John Davis by Ken Scarlett (ISBN 0947062262)