David Zwirner, London 8 October – 17 November
Embedding his dreams on canvas and in the community, visionary American artist Noah Davis created a mighty legacy. He died in 2015, aged thirty-two. The artworks in this show hint at stillness and escapism in the everyday – yet still, this exhibition manages to bring to the fore Davis’s real-world mission, to bring art to working-class Black and Latino neighbourhoods in – a rare prototype, for a healing kind of community.
Davis’s largescale paintings startle, forcing the viewer a few steps back to take them in, made up of elaborate colours from which figures emerge. The figures – almost all of which are Black – range in age but are all immersed in the day-today: a boy is disciplined by his mother, figures are sat on balconies, are stood in doorways, are standing facing the viewer, or lying down, or just outside of their homes, sat on the street, in church or in nature. There is a whimsical quality to Davis’s painterly style; a mix of rich brushstrokes, layers and lines that drip down faintly. While the faces lack expression, the colours are full of depth and nuance – as if their emotions have leaked out into the misty pools of colour surrounding them – the background of Golden Boy (2010) is black upon first view but has an underlying green hue.
Another Balcony (2009) depicts women – one sitting and one walking on a balcony, nearby another who is looking out from a dark window. All of Davis’s figures hint at a sense of introspection. Even in the few works with multiple figures, they remain isolated and glance into the distance, as if contemplating ideas bigger than themselves – a stillness not often reserved for Black characters in popular culture.
Davis hints at reimagining the past, present and future. Leni Riefenstahl (2010) – the eponymous German film director who produced propaganda for the Nazis – depicts a white woman walking through what looks like a dark tunnel, followed by a tall Black man wearing a loincloth and carrying a large box. Congo (2015) shows figures relaxing in lush green countryside. In 40 Acres and a Unicorn (2007) a boy dressed in white rides a white unicorn walking through darkness. The title refers to the promise made (and quickly broken) by the government after the American Civil War, which would have given land and a mule for each family freed from slavery. Here, Davis confronts historical issues while inventing fantastical narratives too – the artworks oer a distraction and a way of processing the pain of the past.
The installation on the third floor is an insight into the Underground Museum – a gallery and art space in Arlington Heights, , that Davis set up with his wife, artist Karon Davis – a creative and community hub where his mission to bring high-quality artwork to working-class Black and Latino neighbourhoods continues to thrive. Shelves of books decorated with African masks, plants, crystals, personal photographs and trinkets stand opposite a sculpture by Karon Davis and an architectural model of the gallery, with miniature versions of previous exhibitions on show inside. At the other end of the room, patterned rugs, African furniture (designed by Davis’s mother, Faith Childs-davis), sage sticks and fabrics become an inviting watching space for ® Original Programs (2018–19) – a two-channel film by Davis’s brother Kahlil Joseph. The screen is mounted on a wall covered with a black-and-white photograph of Black nuns. Stories about the Black community in the – the increase in home-schooling among children and women securing careers in local government – are combined with clips of musicians, actors and people, singing, dancing, acting and playing sports, and of renowned thinkers such as Malcom X, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin and Maya Angelou discussing their ideas. Overwhelmingly uplifting, the film counteracts mainstream news cycles that too frequently draw on fear. These stories replenish and evoke sentiment and passion instead, focusing on a love for art, people and culture.
Although from a middle-class background, Davis saw the intersections of race and class as important aspects of his mission; giving back and sharing the gift of art with those most excluded from the conversation. The Underground Museum echoes the widely discussed issues around inclusion today and his artworks represent eccentric yet relatable narratives that inspire alternative thinking. With the push for diversity and ¨© pledges in the ª, Davis’s legacy oers further hope and highlights the importance of Black-owned spaces for joy, healing and creativity.
Rachel Willcocks
40 Acres and a Unicorn, 2007, acrylic and gouache on canvas, 78 × 67 cm. © Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner