To see a more comprehensive gallery of Davson’s work go here
Jig-saw Puzzle Art
A significant shift in Davson’s imagery occurred in 1979 when she created an irreverent piece about skydiving, titled Drop Zone. Instead of a classic collage approach, she cut-out photography elements and added backgrounds that incorporated jig-saw puzzle shapes. Her childhood love of jig-saw puzzles was opening an intriguing dimension of narrative into her art.
At the time, she worked as a school teacher and evening art class teacher. With a passion for nature and animals, her current hobby was breeding Appaloosa horses; and her recent inspiration was the Tao and its Chinese philosophy for change.
Those jig-saw puzzle shapes started out by reflecting the yin and yang energies – the female and maleness – of her compositions; as well as the singular and the collective. Then larger puzzle pieces evolved into their own canvases within each developing artwork. Like doors and platforms, they provided a different perspective through which a viewer could enter the artwork, pose questions and engage in a multi-layered conversation within the picture’s structure.
Jig-saw puzzle shapes have remained a pivotal signature element of Davson’s art, along with her passion for the natural beauty of our environments.
