SPOKE NYC: Mike Davis "Fate Of The Union" Solo Show

Fate Of The Union solo exhibition by Mike Davis

Opening Reception: September 8th, 6 - 8pm

On view: September 8th - 29th, 2018

Spoke NYC is pleased to present Fate Of The Union, a solo exhibition by San Francisco-based artist Mike Davis. We are thrilled to be exhibiting his work at our Lower East Side location after a 10 year exhibition hiatus in NYC. Fate Of The Union will be Davis’ inaugural solo exhibition at Spoke Art, where he will be exploring themes of social and political dichotomies.

The artist’s highly complex narrative based works are painted in the style of Flemish Primitives such as Bosch, Bruegel and van Eyck. Originating in the 15th century, painters from the Flemish Primitives movement blended elements of realism and symbolism, creating worlds and scenes that had greater depth of emotional complexity than was ever seen before.

Davis’ paintings are full of symbolism referencing mortality, folly and egotism, creating rich scenes and storylines. Figures move across the landscape, building and carrying objects, busying themselves with bizarre tasks. Recurring elements are scattered throughout the landscapes, including keys, ufos, birds, snakes, ladybugs and butterflies. Hybrid creatures such as fish with legs and men with tree trunk heads inhabit this universe, creating an alternate reality that is surreal yet familiar.

Consisting of 15 oil paintings, the scenes are a combination of arcane personal symbolism and social and political commentary. In our current politically tumultuous times, the artist draws inspiration from the American political climate and the world at large, delving into the social divides of today to reflect our own reality though a new lens.

About the exhibition, Davis states, “my work depicts a world of myth and colliding timeframes, a land ‘on the other side of the bridge’ but one that resonates with our own - not as a memory but as a dream.” Please join us Saturday, September 8th from 6 - 8pm for the opening reception of Fate Of The Union. The artist will be in attendance.

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WHAT : Mike Davis: Fate Of The Union WHEN : Opening Reception: September 8th, 6 - 8pm I On view: September 8th - 29th, 2018 WHERE : Spoke NYC 210 Rivington St. New York, NY 10002 ______________________________________________________________________________

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Mike Davis is a modern surrealist painter who currently lives and works in San Francisco, California. Self-taught, Davis began painting seriously in 1997. His inspirations range from his mother’s woodwork, hand-tooled leather, and home projects to art of the ancient world, to surrealism, to the Flemish masters of the Northern Renaissance. He renders complex surrealist works embedded with symbols of mortality, folly and hubris, fixed within whimsical compositions. In addition to painting, Mike Davis is an active musician, woodworker and owner of internationally renowned EverlastingTattoo. ______________________________________________________________________________

ABOUT THE GALLERY I SPOKE NYC + SF

Spoke Art is an art space specializing in new contemporary painting, sculpture and illustration with an emphasis in accessible programming. Started in 2010, the gallery now houses two locations, one in San Francisco’s Lower Nob Hill neighborhood and one in New York City’s Lower East Side. Each space rotates monthly exhibits that feature a wide variety of solo and group shows, many of which feature an international roster of represented artists. ______________________________________________________________________________

MIKE DAVIS: www.mikedavisfineart.com 
FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE : www.facebook.com/events/1775813592468325

SPOKE ART : www.spoke-art.com