The Art of Lindsy Davis and Danielle Winger: Call & Response at Red Arrow Gallery
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On September 13th, Red Arrow Gallery held an artist talk to mark the opening of Call & Response, their newest two person exhibition featuring the works of artists Lindsy Davis and Danielle Winger. I was fortunate to attend this talk, where both artists provided background on the exhibition, the process of making their works, as well as discussed how art challenges the viewer to consider genuine, long-term fulfilment over instant gratification.
Upon entering Red Arrow, minutes before the talk was to begin, I was impressed by the space itself – a broad showroom with Winger’s landscapes extending over its’ walls, flowing into Davis’s weavings and sculptures in the middle range. While people began amassing into the gallery, I carefully viewed The Gloaming and Night Swimming, two oil on canvas paintings by Winger, and felt a similar warmth as that of the works by Brazilian painter, Tarsila do Amaral, one of my favorites. The translucent glow of the trees and care for shape and shading not only attract the viewer, but pull them deep into spell of the work, as if there is some powerfully enchanting, but invisible element that Winger is also making use of. Davis’s Sense of Security, SOS 1 and Sense of Security, SOS 2 also made an immediate impression on me. Suspended in the middle of the room, these sculptures invite the viewer to kneel and step into them, extending a sense of comfort and tranquility. Again, the viewer is captivated by the work, charmed to spend more time with it, as questions about how they were made, as well as does the viewer (now participant) truly feel safe or has the sense of peace translated into something different, begin to rise. As my gallery walk ended and the artist talk began, my initial concept of call and response started to transform from a simple statement and answer into an idea of active participation and reflection.
The talk was led by the gallery’s director, Ashley Laydendecker, who introduced the artists and asked several questions about what inspired their works and the process of creating. When asked how time influences her work, Winger responded by explaining how the night, specifically, impacts her depiction of landscapes; she said, “In the stillness of night, there is tension, but also beauty.” There could not be a more accurate description of how darkness, or more precisely, the unknown impacts her art. For instance, in her painting titled Cradle the Moon, a pair of hands can be seen extending out over the upper half of the canvas, shading the night sky and moon. The reflection of the hands in the blue and black midnight whirlpool is hazy, but a clear angle of the moon bounces off the water. Winger incorporates subtle distinctness in her work by stating something different yet clearly related between the orb-like points of focus that are consistently featured in her work. Even in paintings where there is only one orb (or moon), like Hollow Trees or The Moonlight and the Midnight, Winger makes keen use of symmetry and layering to capture the viewer’s attention, only to fascinate further. Siren Sun and The Earthen Pot are two bright and vibrant views with such colorful reds, pinks, greens, and oranges that are so charming.
Davis’s response to time and its’ influence on her work related to the process of creating. She is interested in being as hands-on as possible, so she learned how to make paper, cultivate rainwater, etc., for use in her art. She elaborated on how fully immersing herself into her work provided a sort of answer to the issues of instant gratification that we all struggle with, by encouraging a deeper connection to develop naturally between artist and art – this was especially true for Sense of Security, SOS 1 and Sense of Security, SOS 2. While Davis worked on her weavings, for hours at a time, they were hung upside down so that gravity would allow them to take shape naturally. Since the final form that the sculpture took was unpredictable, she had to learn to navigate her relationship with nature – a welcome challenge, as Davis explained that she enjoys problem-solving.
Near the end of the talk, an audience member asked the two artists how spontaneity and planning impact their creative process. Winger initially draws using marker because she feels that it translates well to painting, though much of her process is a call-and-response; she never knows where a painting will end but does not want to question design. Her Seelenvoll is a profound example of her firm sense of design. This vast work spans across a 74.75 x 118 in. canvas and can easily cover the entire peripheral vision of the viewer. And that is how it should be seen. Again, Winger fascinates with beautiful blues and flowy shapes and glow, but on a much larger scale, now. Seelenvoll truly encapsulates the dreamy and peaceful yet wistful essence of Winger’s work
For Davis, designs are initially vague. Because she works with natural forces so often, she likes to take several different approaches. Though the end of the project is not always clear, the themes and execution of her work are superb, and her other sculptures in the gallery, Negated Void and Echo Chamber, are clear representations of her expertise. Again, Davis’s work persuades the viewer to active engagement. While one leans into Echo Chamber to find a dark and quiet void of nothingness – “a momentary escape,” – Negated Void blocks off that escape. Studded with steel coffin nails, the viewer is forced to acknowledge their own morality. The pedestals that each sculpture sits upon reads, “As above, so below,” in braille. Davis perfectly describes the relation of each of her pieces in a statement, “While escaping is one way to avoid the present, camouflage is another. We can instigate feelings of safety and security in the midst of fear by building the anchors ourselves.”
Call & Response will be on exhibition until October 25th. If you have the chance, stop by Red Arrow Gallery and familiarize yourself with the important work of Davis and Winger!
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Rian Dennis is a recent BA in Music and Spanish graduate from MTSU. He enjoys listening to music and watching movies, in his free time, and also has an interest in fashion. He is excited to document contemporary art and music history for the Music City Review!
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