A Tale Of Two Cities

Foreword by Declan MacGonagle

This exhibition is made up of a series of works by Anthony Davies which come directly out of a period he spent living and working in Derry.

Never one to remain the distanced observer, the underlying strength of Davies' work comes from his sometimes painful participation in life. This was true of his period in Derry where he was in constant contact with people in the city. Yet he does not romanticise. No one should look to his work for nostalgia or safe havens in this or any of his earlier works. These prints and paintings which are underpinned by a disciplined virtuosity have their origins in his longer presence in Northern Ireland, firstly as a lecturer in the College of art and latterly, singularly as an artist, while still regularly teaching in colleges through England and Wales.

As an artist, in the context of Northern Ireland, Davies has concentrated his focus on the questions of ordinary and extraordinary existence which permeates life here. In these prints and large scale watercolours, Davies, unlike far too many artists, is not content to bask in the glory of his craftsmanship, he has pursued his language and himself, at some cost, beyond the limits of others. His commitment and single mindedness has to be applauded.

A note from Roy Wallis

These are bold, delineated, heavily foregrounded works, watercolour used as a weapon of social commentary and critique, rather than as a tasteful testament to landscape or complexion. The figures force themselves forward, graphically insisting that we take notice.

Davies has selected his subject matter from the context of the working class life, portraying its pains and modest satisfactions. The works are local in reference, but universal in association. Davies does not offer a representative view of these locations. Rather, he has been drawn to the struggle, the elusive and transient pleasures of those who, in the end will never be more than the lower orders. This series offers, unsentimentally and without condescension, an insight into their lives and a point of emotional contact with their tribulations. The vibrancy of colour, the solidity of the figures, the occasional representation of joy, all signify a sense of hope, optimism that among the ashes of disorder and damaged lives, meaning and human worth may yet endure.