Elevation V2
December 21, 2016 - February 3, 2017
First Friday Receptions: January 13 (Do-Over) & February 3, 2017 6-10pm
Brian Davis lives and works in Northern Virginia. Born in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, Mr. Davis was raised in Guam and South Carolina. He has taught New Media and Sculpture at The George Washington University and American University. Mr. Davis has a B.F.A in General Studio from Winthrop University and an M.F.A in Sculpture from the University of Florida.
From his roots of skateboarding and playing guitar for a punk band in the Deep South, he has embraced the D.I.Y. aesthetic. These social and creative endeavors, activities like organizing punk shows and collective ramp building, led to an interest in sculpture, video art, and to the current work that explores connectivity, interaction, and the possibilities of effecting change in the surrounding world.
Davis’ artistic practice is varied and experimental and includes elements of public sculpture, multimedia installation, and virtual applications. His work and research explores cross-discipline techniques and practices to exploit the medium’s connection to the viewer and the surrounding space. While focusing on viewer experience, Davis also strives to create a dialogue with the history of sculpture and video art.
Elevation V2 is a multipart installation consisting of a variety of interconnected elements. The central element is a tripod structure on which two segments if a wooden chair are propelled towards the ceiling of the gallery space. The mechanism that propels the chair segments upward is controlled by a gallery visitor who must stare intently at their own disappearing image in a computer monitor. Only while this person is actively interfacing with the monitor will the mechanism continue to operate; as soon as the connection is broken, the chair separates and is guided back to the gallery floor. While the work is active, the interfacing individual cannot view the active space behind them.