In addition to several events coming up soon (see here) Al Davison has been busy preparing for his very first solo art exhibition, entitled Muscle Memory: “Muscle memory in the context of this collection of work refers to not only the physical aspect, but to the whole idea of learned responses. We learn from the media what ‘beauty’ is supposed to be, how we are supposed to feel and think about our bodies. These works explore a different aesthetic through the supposedly ‘disabled’, & ‘deformed’ via the classic nude.”
(“From a symbolic portrait of childhood friend Ghita, a triple amputee who went on to become a Burlesque performer, to the contrasting views of the artist’s wife’s ‘able bodied’ legs with his own partially paralysed lower limbs. These works aim to challenge our learned responses, and maybe even re-train or own ‘muscle memory’ in relation to the human form in all its diversity.” Art courtesy of and (c) Al Davison)
It’s fascinating looking work (as you might expect of Al) and a reminder that representations of our imperfect human bodies are still a relative rarity in the worlds of art and comics with a few notable exceptions such as Al’s work, Milligan and McCarthy’s Skin or Marc Quinn’s statue of Alison Lapper, which graced Trafalgar Square a couple of years back. And yes, I know there are others too, but it is still relatively rare, as if we conspire to shy away from images of ‘imperfection’ (as if anyone is actually perfect) in most of our media. Muscle Memory will be showing at the Lock Gallery (also in Coventry’s Canal Basin, near Al’s studio and shop) from February the 3rd for one week.
Wed, Dec 10, 2008
Art and animation, Conventions and events