An overview of the work and life of Noah Davis

The American artist Noah Davis (1983-2015) believed that “painting does something to your soul that nothing else can do. It is visceral and immediate.” Drawing on art history, his own archives and anonymous photographs found at flea markets in Los Angeles, he created an enchanting oeuvre of figurative paintings that illuminate various areas of black life. The characters dive into swimming pools, sleep, dance and view works of art in environments that can be both realistic and dreamlike, exuberant and melancholic. In addition to his famous paintings, Davis also created drawings, collages and sculptures and was a co-founder of the Underground Museum.

This publication presents the entire spectrum of Davis' complex and multi-layered work. It accompanies a retrospective prepared by internationally renowned institutions and contains the curators' latest research, contributions by Tina M. Campt and Claudia Rankine, as well as texts and poems by influential writers and artists, including Francesco Clemente, Marlene Dumas, Helen Molesworth and Jason Moran. The book also features rare archive and extensive illustration material that illustrate the work of Davis' tireless curiosity and his relevance today.

Museum issue - sold on behalf and for the account of Museen der Hasso Plattner Foundation gGmbH, Museum Barberini, Alter Markt 3, 14467 Potsdam, VAT ID DE280321691