FOLDED STEEL
“NEW IS ONLY HALF OF IT...“NEW IS ONLY HALF OF IT. DAVY’S WORK IS BOTH A RADICAL DEPARTURE AND A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL ONE. THE INTERNAL TENSIONS AND THE CONCERN FOR BALANCE REMAIN, ALTHOUGH THE FORMS ARE NO LONGER CANTILEVERED BEAMS: THEY ARE FOLDED STEEL TUBES RISING TRIUMPHANTLY UP FROM THE FLOOR LIKE AN OUTCROPPING OF SILVERY REEDS. SOME ARE SO TALL THEY GRAZE THE CEILING, AND EACH ONE IS GIRDLES AT THE CENTER, TOP OR BOTTOM BY HEAVY IRON CHAINS. REMINISCENT OF GIACIOMETTI’S ATTENUATED FIGURES AS WELL AS THE BONDAGE OF MICHAELANGELO’S SLAVES, THESE VERY CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACTIONS COMMUNICATE AN EXISTENTIAL TESION BETWEEN TRANSCENDENCE AND RESTRAINT, FREEDOM AND LIMITATION. BEING UPRIGHT AS WELL AS TUBULAR, THEY SUGGEST THE HUMAN FORM AS WELL AS THE HUMAN CONDITION, REACHING UP BUT NEVER ENTIRELY DEFYING GRAVITY. ONE CAN ONLY MARVEL AT HOW DAVY MANAGED TO TAKE SUCH A QUANTUM LEAP AND MAKE THE SHIFT SO GRACEFULLY.”
- DINAH BERLAND, ART CRITIC, long beach press telegram, MAY 13, 1990
I COMPRESSED AND FOLDED STEEL TUBING IN A PRESS BRAKE, AND WHILE UNDER THAT PRESSURE, I WELDED THE ENDS CLOSED AND CUT OFF THE EXCESS. THIS RESULTED IN AN INTROVERTED TENSION, BOTH PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL, THAT WAS HELD WITHIN THESE TORTURED TUBES. IF I CUT CERTAIN WELDS, THEY WOULD SPRING APART.” WD
