An artist who garnered a small but enthusiastic number of followers, Francis Davison always shunned publicity and preferred anonymity. A one-man exhibition, held at the Hayward Gallery in 1983, was enthusiastically received by his admirers and a number of YBA artists who applauded the work. At that show, Davison wanted his collages to be seen without the references normally given to works of art such as titles, dates and medium. Whilst this idiosyncrasy appealed to some it annoyed others and for Davison the exposure proved almost too much. He rarely exhibited but over the years his collages succeeded in entering the consciousness of a number of curators and collectors. He conducted a life-long correspondence with Patrick Heron who, along with artists such as Roger Hilton and Mary Potter were devotees of his work.
AUSTIN / DESMOND FINE ART
Austin/Desmond Fine Art specialises in Modern British, International and Contemporary art. Established in 1979, the gallery has been located in Bloomsbury since 1988.
NEWS
We are currently exhibiting at The London Original Print Fair, at the Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly, stand number 46, 19 -22 April 2012. Exhibited Artists include: Keith Coventry, Alan Davie, Terry Frost, Richard Hamilton, Denis Mitchell, Paul Nash, Eduardo Paolozzi, John Piper, Bridget Riley, Catherine Yarrow.
We will have a limited number of signed copies of the wonderful new book by Francis Spalding 'Prunella Clough regions unmapped', priced at £35, available at the gallery from next week, please note we do not accept debit or credit cards.
Francis Davison, Blue Mass, Blue Angle, White Ground, Collage, 1983-84
