New Print Series

I posted the first print in this series of prints yesterday, but I want to go ahead and catalog the full series on Instagram. The prints pictured are in order as follows:

The Sad Trudge Forward, Silkscreen, 11"x14", 2022

Wheel In The Sky, Silkscreen, 11"x14", 2021

To Grow A Man, Silkscreen, 11"x14", 2021

A Dance For Dominance, Silkscreen, 11"x14", 2022

I have been working on this series since I made the first print for a SAIC print exchange last summer. I started to explore the subject matter of this work after the end of my MFA thesis in 2020, but it has taken almost two years for me to feel confident with the direction I am heading. It feels different this time. The work feels sustainable, fresh, and perpetually exciting, which is a rare thing for any artist. I think that sentiment holds especially true in an age of unrivaled access to visual information. The prints featured in this post are an attempt to expand on ideas that were shaped in my previous solo shows postgraduate school. I see this series as the root of a complex deconstruction of patriarchal expectations referencing the male-sex role. I’m using Joseph Campbell’s codification of the Hero’s Journey, or the Mono-myth, as a format to construct, then deconstruct, a world where stereotypical male-sex behaviors run their course and evolve. The world where my work exists is meant to be self-contained, but not linear. Nonlinear ways of thinking are hard for me because I am a printmaker. I have a habit of making things sequentially, one step at a time. These prints are important because they feel like the foundation of a metaphorical world that exhibits real-world scenarios, and consequences, of a binary reality. I am hoping that my world births persons who are willing to leave the comfort of their many privileges in search of themselves; the beautiful, the tragic, and the inherent but unpredictable nature of life's numerous directions.

Ok, that's the end of my sappy, extensively written monologue. In closing, this work excites me and there's more coming. Promise!

Free CMYK Color Separations .PDF

Hi,

I have something for you. Recently, I constructed a small, eight-page booklet as a resource for my printmaking students. They're learning how to perform CMYK color separations in Adobe Photoshop, so I made the booklet to pair with my class lectures on the topic. If you’re interested in the CMYK process, download the link to my free .pdf here.

Happy printing!

Best,

Terry

Stop That Cryin' - Solo Show at Brazosport College

Hey Everyone,

I have a show that opens this week at Brazosport College in Lake Jackson, TX. Below is an artist statement I wrote for the occasion. If you find yourself in the Lake Jackson area, feel free to drop in.

Best,

Terry

Stop That Cryin’

By: Terry K. Davis, M.F.A

I would like to thank John Wayne for influencing this show. He’s a long-dead and nostalgic memory of mine. However, I’m not interested in his image in the way it was characterized by the iconic, western genre films that made him famous. I’m fascinated by his countless performances of the male sex role, now etched into the history of the American pop culture machine (of which, I am a rabid consumer). John Wayne is a role model for many, and he used to be mine, but our relationship is complicated. Many male relationships are.

By studying the actions of my childhood role model, I found the mention of a relatively unknown book on male sexuality called The 49 percent majority: The Male Sex Role edited by Deborah S. David and Robert Brannon. The book was written back in 1976. It separates male sex stereotypes into 4 neat categories; No Sissy Stuff, The Big Wheel, The Sturdy Oak, and Give ‘Em Hell. I’m fascinated by these descriptions, and the goal of my work is to illustrate the concepts for myself. My art functions as a way for me to understand myself better, and the images I make speak in ways my words never could.

The work in this show is a nonlinear, autobiographical narrative of my experiences performing male sex stereotypes. It questions the behaviors I was taught to embody by the John Wayne-era films I watched as a child. Behaviors like heightened aggression, the desperation for success, and the repression of my more vulnerable and subjectively shameful emotions (like crying). It's an exhibit that tries to recognize the stereotypes of the male sex role for what they are; false notions of a bygone era, of which men no longer need to keep living. I hope this helps you as much as it helps me.

New Time-Lapse Video on Youtube

Hey! Thanks for being here. I just released a time-lapse video that shows the preliminary drawing for my print titled, No Mercy. I‘m looking forward to making more videos like this in the future. Enjoy!

To See Things Repeat

To See Things Repeat, Mixed Media on Drawing Paper, 4.5’x3’, 2021

I documented this piece today. It’s one I’ve been working on for the past month, and Its documentation makes me feel like I can finally distance myself from it. I'm not going to comment on its context yet. Getting distance from my work helps me digest it. When I’m working on something, I pour all of my energy into it. I get lost in the moment of searching for some form of resolution in the making process. Those moments are unsettling, but also invigorating. When the work is finished, I can’t quite grasp that reality. The next few days, weeks, or months after are spent ogling the work until I’m ready to archive it. After that moment, the work leaves my control. There is a reckoning, and I do my best to record my thoughts on paper. Those thoughts will never be final, but I need some kind of record of my ideas and intentions, however flawed. There is beauty in those flaws. There is beauty in how a work of art does and does not communicate. That is where the real magic happens.

Masculinity(ies)

Today I’m writing about my research practice in terms of the literature I consume and study. I believe that a good artist absorbs more than just good art! Much of my artwork is about my masculinity. To some degree, It always has been, but it takes a lot of work to access my feelings on the subject. That work is never finished. The following books “Masks Off” by JJ Bola and “The Descent of Man” by Grayson Perry, are recent examples of writings I have read to help me unpack the context of the work I make as an artist.

I didn’t start this journey on my own. I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends and mentors who challenge my concept of the world I live in. The books I am sharing with you today are important, but I won’t go into detail. This post is a declaration of how critical books like these have been for informing my art practice, as well as my personal life. If you are interested in learning more about the spectrum of masculinity, these books are a must-read. Cheers!

Horse King

I decided to sift through some old files, and I found more images of work I made in undergrad. One of the things I stumbled on was this graphite drawing. I think it was made in 2016, but that's about as much as I can remember. It has some strong ETAM CRU vibes. If you don’t know ETAM CRU, google them. (You won't regret it) Anyways, I like the imagery in this drawing, but It's underdeveloped. It seems like I lost interest at some point, and now the drawing exists in a weird state of limbo. Maybe It deserves a makeover?

right: Horse King?, Graphite on Paper, 2016

Cheers, my friend!

This painting has been on my mind lately. I've been applying to art instructor positions, and this portrait in oils is a good example of my skills with a brush. I’m a 2D artist with mastery over a variety of technical skills, and occasionally I need to prove that for a job posting. This painting was one that I made during my undergraduate education. It was the culmination of hundreds of hours of study in the painting discipline. A benchmark piece that fortified my academic skills as a traditional painter. It features the distinguished mug of a good friend of mine. My best and oldest, Aaron. Aaron and I grew up together in the same small town, but at the time this was painted we were attending separate universities. Now, we live on different continents. We do our best to keep in contact, but it has been years since we occupied the same space. Seeing this piece makes me yearn for a time when we were together. I miss my friend, but I am happy knowing that he is living well. Prost, mein Freund!

above, left: The underpainting process.

above, right: Portrait of a Friend, Oil on Canvas Board, 9”x12”, 2016

Sunday Bike & Sketch

Biking, drawing, donuts, etc.

Today I went on a bike ride with my partner. We took a few snacks, some coffee, and our personal array of art tools and materials. I brought my red Moleskine and a set of felt pens. The ride was pleasant, and the weather unbelievable. After a few miles, we found a park and stopped to work. My partner took photos, and I made drawings. I drew from observation, mostly the flowers, and architecture around me, but the most interesting drawing I made was of my bicycle. I started with blind contour and worked to refine the image using a mode of direct observational study. After, we grabbed some donuts and headed back home. It was a beautiful start to the day.

Felt Pen on Moleskine, 10”x8.25”, 2021

New Portrait Series

Portraits, Portraits, Portraits!

I'm enjoying this drawing process. Blind Contour drawings that are timed and reworked after the fact. These quick exercises combine the search for form and gesture, through the use of line, with the slow and articulate observation of a tonal drawing. Line and Mass coming together to make an image. It's surprising every time.

Graphite on BFK Rives, 11”x14”, 2021

Sharpening a Pencil

Technical/Material Demo

This video was one of the first technical videos I made for my Intro to Drawing students. In it, I discuss the benefits of sharpening your pencils using a blade and sandpaper. Enjoy!