Jose Dávila

UNTITLED

2011
hand cut and high temperature painted ceramic
19 3/4 x 19 3/4 x 3 1/4 inches

In much of his recent work, Mexican artist Jose Dávila uses ordinary materials to duplicate iconic 20th century works as a means to critique and reflect on the manner in which meaning is attributed to materials. In this untitled work from 2011, Dávila takes on Josef Albers Homage to the Square series (made from 1949-1976) where Albers explored the complex nature of perception and color interactions. Dávila’s work is made of cut and stacked ceramic tile, posing questions about the hierarchical relationship between paint and ceramics, canvas and tile, and artist and construction worker. Dávila’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the MAZ, Zapopán; MARCO Museum of Contemporary Art of Vigo; and the Bloomberg Space and the Camden Arts Centre, both in London. His work is included in public collections such as Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo; Inhotim, Brumadinho; and the Phelps Cisneros Collection.