artist statement

My current series explores the juxtaposition of banal graphic imagery in the context of a portrait. These are portraits that depict a person void of real space; that is to say that subjects are portrayed directly without the distracting inclusion of the representation of the space they occupy. This exclusion of a physical place allows me to focus directly on the subject as a single element in the overall composition and allow the imagery on the remaining canvas space to reinforce ideas that I develop for the painting.

The ideas evolve from some reflection of my connection to the person that is discovered through the process of developing the painting. The process allows for an introspective journey that bridges me with the subject and explores the connections that exist between the subject and I. These connections are translated in graphic form through images that are derived from our common visual culture.

I employ juxtaposition of these graphic elements to develop content where independently one would not exist. These graphic elements by their very nature involve an array of associations and issues that are commented upon in my works. All these ideas are inseparably entwined in the overall content of each piece. These are not portraits in the traditional sense but paintings that explore the spectrum of identity and human connections. Just as visual culture is integral part of our own personal identity and encapsulates how we commonly view the world and one another, the images derived from it form the vocabulary that I then use to suggest meaning and a visual conversation in my paintings.

 

artist bio

Basil Seymour-Davies’s paintings have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the Mid-South, including the Baton Rouge Center for Contemporary Art in Louisiana; Moxy Studios Art Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana; and the Fort Smith Art Center in Arkansas.

Basil decided to pursue a lifelong interest in oil painting in 2002 after years of feeling frustrated about his occupation in sales and management. He completed his BFA in painting and art education from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in 2006.

He was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from European and Asian descent. He and his family left the country on the last commercial flight out, at the age of 2, just as the brutal regime of the Khmer Rouge invaded the capital city. Laos, Thailand, and England were his stops before he arrived in the United States at the age of twelve. He currently resides in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

 

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