The Dance Before the Kill

I attended the wonderful opening reception for “The Dance Before the Kill”, Anna U Davis’s first exhibition of works on paper and first solo show at Long View Gallery.  “The Dance Before the Kill” features approximately thirty pen and ink drawings as well as several mixed media paintings.  I always love going to openings at Long View Gallery in part because the space is so large one can move about freely and actually spend time looking at the art without the fear of stepping on someone’s toes (literally).  Davis’s paintings were grouped together in top level of the gallery while her works on paper were displayed in front area, clearly marking the focal point of the show.

Before attending the opening reception, I gathered some background information on Anna U Davis.  I found out that Davis moved from her native country of Sweden to the United States in 1998.  She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the District of Columbia in 2002 and has been working as a full time artist ever since.  Davis has shown at numerous galleries around D.C. and Sweden.  “The Dance Before the Kill” marks her second time exhibiting at Long View Gallery. 
 I decided to view Davis’s paintings first, since I knew those were older works.  I immediately noticed the sharp contrast between her brightly colored canvases (in which thousands of tiny, colorful paper squares form the backdrop of each) and black and white drawings.  While the figures take center stage in both her drawings and paintings, the lines of Anna U Davis’s figures and attention to detail are more pronounced in her drawings.  In “The Vitruvian Woman” the curves of male and female bodies are beautifully intertwined, yet each figure is uniquely drawn right down to the fine details of attire.  The figures are all connected yet remain separate, unique individuals.  When reading the press release for this exhibition something Anna U Davis said regarding painting versus drawing caught my eye, “drawing is a lot more about developing the figures and manipulating the negative space in an interesting way”.

Anna U Davis introduced the term “Frocasian” (a blend of “Afro” and “Caucasian”) to describe her figures.  “Frocasian” is emblematic of the utopist intention of surpassing identity politics.  “The Dance Before the Kill” explores contemporary feminist concerns and interprets feminism with the understanding that all people are social equals.  In her drawings Davis successfully decreases the standard ideals that distinguish one gender from another.  It was an honor to meet Anna U Davis at her opening reception and I look forward to future exhibitions of her work.

“The Dance Before the Kill” June 3-July 1, Long View Gallery, 1234 9th Street, Washington, DC 20001