Jose Davila
b.1974, Guadalajara, Based in Guadalajara
Davila’s training as an architect profoundly informs his approach to art. His choice of materials is manifestly influenced by the environment of downtown Guadalajara – Davila photographs streets and interiors in order to effect reconstructions within an exhibition space. His three dimensional installations then create new dialogue with the space they inhabit through a careful, considered use of colour, light and texture. His works explore a fascination with random organization, unintentional man-made patterns, and found visual systems.
In recent years Davila has been working on a series of photographic images that depict iconic artworks or architectural landmarks excised out of their original setting. One such group consists of important architectural landmarks from around the world reduced to silhouettes, only the outline of the space they inhabit remains. The same technique is also extended to images of influential artworks, reducing them to pure context. Titles such as You talk about it but I just can’t see it critically challenge the popular perception of iconic objects by emphasizing their contemporary and commercial contexts.
Reference and homage play another crucial role in Davila's practice, and are evident in works such as Homage to the Square where the artist makes direct reference to Alber's series of the same name by employing sculptural forms and utilizing the translucent qualities of glass to translate Alber’s works into three dimensional space.
