Escapism (visual description);
“An expulsion of thoughts expressed or rendered creatively to oppose a realistic result or a unique source of abstraction with the pursuit to express outside of the normal artistic pursuits.” Adam Fraser Davidson, Aug 28th 2009
Abstraction is a departure from traditional art as a method of expression that takes on intellectual, spiritual and personal objectives. I’m rationalizing with the term Escapism, as I am developing a visual description;
The Dictionary describes; “Escapism is a mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation, as an escape from the perceived unpleasant aspects of daily stress. It can also be used as a term to define the actions people take to help relieve feelings of depression or general sadness.”
Now of course a visual description would involve expanding on this term with an intention, as the definition is almost untouched in the larger sense. Used loosely in the culture of excess as a tactic to isolate or forget, but as a visual device to leave behind all that is overdone today with a more imaginative response.
I see this term in a more elaborate way, as the world is locked into the Pop Icon, Shock Value and World Disorder. Each of these rational for our present times do not evoke the best in humanity and originality is becoming lost.
With the changes of broadcasting and technology many ideas are being lost to the Iconography and 15 minutes of fame that are being depicted. The action of art, painting and drawing, writing are fundamental uses to the expulsion of thought and originality stems from the attempts of true emotion not over written lives.
For one to create you must face your value, rights, flaws, image or self, inner self, viewing other’s as to see more than what is visible by the naked eye. By moving into an escape of today or the years to come these actions should be taken to amount to the new idea, consciousness or even obscurity. It has been indicated that in times of great change; great actions should be taken too. Originality is outside of those true images of our lives it is a means to create in order to find that escape. In the artwork that tries to show what has not been seen before, whether that be in the creativity of other’s or of ourselves.
I look at abstraction as a release, an insight and a personal creative objective that I have taken on to make my visual and written compositions. My main objectives have been to take images out of reality and bring them into a different perception. They may have come from imagination or have been previously detached as to let the imagination render them at a later time.
An image with out flaw is impossible and experimentation with composition is key. Now relevant to the imaginations of those who observe life in it’s indifference as every image alters naturally. It’s the decision as how to capture that moment in time and how it may be rendered in the future, ever changing.
This may sound convoluted but think of it in an emotional instance. If an escapist attitude is to stay off the beaten path or to purposely isolate themselves than a visual pursuit of an escapist is to disassociate the usage of expression from where it comes from today, Escapism. There is a lot more out there than what we are told to want and enjoy in life. In ten years we’ll be neck high in fossils of our consumption, so sit back take a minute and trust yourself to look outside the box.
My works are not one attempt; they are layer upon layer unfolding different senses of clarity, colour, structure and personal visual appeal. Windows or spaces encased by a contrasting form developing different elements of depth. Throwing all natural compositions out and building from the ground up.
The art of Pop has derived many terms, as Surreal is the new cool. Expression of the old has morphed into the new and poetry has been given different vision. The art of today has yet to be defined as I conclude my pursuit is to rationalize the artistic escape of visual balance and rhythm.
Adam Fraser Davidson August 2009 |
Patriot 1999 & 2006 & 2009 (concentration on Escapism)
This design concept began in 1999, recreated in 2006 with over 120 hours time of painting, featured for 3 separate exhibitions and a final touch was made to complete the design in 2009
 
Progression of "Patriot" acrylic on canvas 60"x60"
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As an Artist, of visual and written works, raised and educated in the Ottawa region, a back ground in environmentalism and a variety of trades. Life is the depth of a great river every single current heading towards a vast ocean. I prefer to view the sky thinking of my place on this tiny little sphere and how I can become lasting or vital being within it.
I don’t remember the 70’s even though I was born in them, I wore bellbottoms as a toddler and as a teen, preferring for the majority of my life to have my tuque cover my eyes and look out the slot, down the ridge of my nose. I’ve been called an eccentric not really knowing how that is possible but the effect of other’s opinions especially on that subject are hard to attain or argue. Could be that I am viewed as loud, even as a silent person, I can leap into some situations or ect; that could point me out as too opinionated myself.
I think of life; the obscurity of matter and thoughts being provoked as now I have to try to view myself. The projects of late are of the completion to the next chapter of my life and I have written about it in “MOSS” sub title “provoking thoughts and a distorted identity”. All the way to the abstract and the indifference of identity in every symbolism I saw in the arrangement over those three years, each title a unique venture as a poet. To the point where I am not to sure how to speak of myself in any context without a rational process; now as I am, there is no rational process, within expression only method.
I have decided to be a rebel and to be old sitting in my rocking chair, with children and appreciating wisdom, hardships, love, fear, joy, every thought to come as I want to accept. I think that as an artist even with these changing times I enjoy a brush and a notebook. I will always comeback to my grounded self to enjoy life in the immediacy, as art is a physical impossibility.
Even in my own or the worlds mediums of artistic creations become drastically different I will still enjoy painting and keeping a notebook. Lately I’ve worked on some of the most important compositions of my career and I would rather my expectations be high.
Since the time I felt it necessary to break my normal imagery into realizing that abstract can be anything as expressions and inundated moments of thoughts in my visual and written forms. As an antithesis of the reality or conventional character based formations, due to their repetition it is the reasoning behind my obscurity and difference, a translation. To intensively making of impressionable statements condensed or otherwise, provoking to a core of my insight, questions and vague never conditioned answer. Not the conditions of an exact explanation as moments in one composition differ from the moments before and after as the art is given form representing that moment or rationalization.
Of a raw creative base to push and maintain boundaries, however important it is to break those walls and barriers to igniting a siren. The consistency is the compromise that I’ve equated because it works and over time or project is the push to experience. Opening new doors and the interpretations become encompassed just a novel fragmented would still reveal the plot or narrator, character and to not indulge is the nemesis of the encounter.
With the artists I have worked with, I think I have understood more, to the point I wait and experiment, to associate outside of my own means, original on the wider spectrum and I appreciate understanding the compression and varieties of compositions found under each influence.
“No one has a true personalized theme song, but lyrics are meant for everyone.”
I often feel the need to diffuse my process and interceptions vary in the explanation, to connect the obscurity that encompass my work. As I hit on one thought, styles of expression differ from one another, but in total each interaction or artwork created is from that same vain. Just different moments or times in my life provoke a different way that I choose with to express myself at that time. The truly condensed even when simplistic take weeks if not longer to spell them out, with the proper execution of the intentions as some take moments.
“Influence is a vast network with many options down to the speck. Every story is a code or transaction of something already experienced that have developed on each transaction, intensive or not. It will effect the outcome of another that is written or otherwise.”
Adam Fraser Davidson July 2005
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Indy Earth 2007 to 2009
A play on the symbol for earth and the arrows point to the center, as one self’s center of focus is the point they stand on.
Indy Earth Images - line design (left - right, Indy Earth Red Version, Indy Earth Blue Version, Indy Earth Alternate Coloured.
Old Yod co Logo 2003
The first successful visual math design, based on the rhythms of 2’s 3’s and 5’s
Line Design Marketing Project - Yod co. promotions
Envo Duo & Provocative Alien 1995 & 1996
The two most favourite designs based on Native art and my sci-fi obsession
 
Images of line designs, photoshoped via late high school sketches.
Poncho Illustration 1997
Illustration of a story yet to be fully written
Graphite on lined paper
Buckshot Target 2005
Began as a band cd cover project yet rendered as a multi faceted image
 
Photocopy and graphite design edition #4
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Into 1994
My first fully dedicated abstract work in high school as the image speaks of a light with in; taking over the mind of the subject, a reflection on myself as a rebirth toward a new creative knowledge
Into - Acrylic on canvas - 28"x32" - undisclosed owner
3D Signal 2002
A play on the properties of a 3D design, with the aid of 3D glasses the image oscillates and moves as a visual band width
3D Signal - Acrylic and graphite on canvas - 36"x36" - private collection
Dot Symbol Chaos 1998 -99
My career ground breaking painting, begun and competed as a long-term study in college; exhibited over a dozen times between 1998 and 2001
Dot Symbol Chaos - 48"x72" - Private collection
Best of “Test Subject Series” #3, #9 & #16 2002 to 2006
A series that I could have continued on for many more years and as the technique is revised in my work often. Commonly described as a derivative of the works of Pollack, with 24 works completed in that technique and style.
  
Test Subject series #3 "Red"- 24" x 24" - 2003, Private CollectionTest Subject series #8 "Gridlock"- 24" x 24" - 2004, Private OwnerTest Subject series #16 "Blue Sphere"- 24" x 24" - 2005, Private Collection
Moss and Glare paintings 2002 to 2003
These works were short lived and moved on to be distorted in many ways in my future works of art.
 
Moss - Acrylic on Canvas - 36"x48" - Private Collection Glare - Acrylic on Canvas - 24"x24" - Private Owner
New “Construck” 6 and 7 2007 to present
In progress as this series is to take a random expressionist background with an embossment of design and solid structure over the canvas to create windows and flow to the different energy’s on the canvas
 
New Construck 6 - Acrylic on Canvas - 30"x30" - Private Collection New Construck 7 - Acrylic on Canvas - 30"x30" - Private Collection
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Web Launch -Saw Gallery - July 4th 2009
Artistic concert full details via gallery page ans links page, launch of the yod co . ca 2009
-Mercury Lounge (flyer)
Solo Show 2004 - Mercury Lounge, Byward Market, Ottawa.
-OSA ‘Caution Wet Paint’ (flyer)
First Show feat. Escapism series and works - Ottawa School of Art, Byward Market, Ottawa.
-Iota Project 2002 (photo)
Image taken at the completion of the 34 ft. x27 ft. Painted in six hours by 8 artists, Kosmic 2002, Carleton University, Ottawa. Photograph courtesy of The Charleton. Copy of Documentary (28min.) can be obtained by request.
-Platinum (photo)
Solo Performance - Arts Court 20th Anniversary - Photo Courtesy of The Ottawa Citizen
-Teen Mural Project CHEO via OSA
See More on the mural project at: www.onthepoint.ca
-Local Live Art and poetry performance
 
Two Images of various arts performances. |
I developed my talents early as I used art as a source of fun and I still do. At the age of 15 I began to become fascinated with Abstraction, Odd Illustrations, Native Art and Symbols, at that time I began to create my own. Art took a new meaning as I became almost too fascinated as to where my art and its realizations had brought me.
At the age of 18 I was determined to not ever focus on the traditional, figurative or the realistic at all anymore and I began the pursuit of working in any medium, written, painted or otherwise as an abstractionist.
All of my Post Secondary education and extra curricular with other artists has been in my hometown of Ottawa, the Ottawa Region and via the Internet. The Ottawa School of Art has allowed me to take the roll of Student then to Technician, now Teacher and Instructor for General Interest Courses, Teens Courses and Outreach Programs.
As for my Instruction I have trimmed a formula to teach composition and demonstrate visual art material properties. As the attempt, approach and usage of materials are important to the process, the work it self. Above and beyond all that is the idea, which is the initial work and takes the most time.
Through mistakes, trials and studies I think that art thrives in those thoughts before the true works of art can even begin.
For now I am verging on a new territory with my own art unlike my other previous attempts. At this time I am bridging my talents and styles to push in a new direction, the pursuit continues.
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Key Projects
