Material Witness— The Found Object Works of James V. Davis.

As a passionate collector of “things”, my studio is filled with a strange array of objects that have been discarded, lost or fallen off a much larger object. Most people would call it “junk”. I call them fascinating – because these little pieces of history have stories to tell. Where did they come from? Why were they tossed on the ground? What larger machine could they have broken from? Sometimes the smallest item can tell the grandest tale. And that’s what this show is about. Especially because once an object is out in the world on its own, it becomes one with nature in some way. Every artwork in this show has a deeper, more intimate hidden message – and it’s up to you, the viewer, to decipher it. “Material Witness” is a whimsical, abstract journey into the lives of orphaned objects. Sometimes man made. Sometimes crafted by Mother Nature. And together these objects are given a second life. A rusty bolt or gasket that finally broke loose from a tractor or a tiny strip of paper that once lived in a fortune cookie – by juxtaposing these objects, what story are they trying to tell? The majority of objects you see in this show had a former life. Even the canvases and frames are recycled. My goal is to use as little virgin material as possible. If you look closely at each work, there are layers of words and text beneath the paint. Newspapers, magazines, pages from old books, receipts, and paper ephemera that had a dierent purpose are now trying to say something dierent. When you listen closely, what do you hear? As you view each work, what materials can you find?

Man made: Paper: Letters, envelopes, magazines, newspapers, photographs, coasters

Metal: Machine and car parts, springs, gears, utensils, tools, cans, nuts, bolts, screws

Fabric: Clothing, buttons, leather, ribbon, lace, cotton, denim, fur Packaging: Bags, boxes, bottles, cans, jars, caps, and lids

Technology: Computer chips, mother boards, wire, plastic parts, glass Rubber: Tires, wheels, hoses, gaskets, corks and belts

Plastic: Model parts, emblems, seals, lids, knobs, fasteners, connectors

Natural: • Shells, coral, sand & fossils • Plants, leaves, branches & flowers • Bones, fossils, skulls & fur • Insects, bugs, wings & feathers • Seeds, spores, pods & roots • Pebbles, gems, rocks & minerals