FALL 2019 BFA THESIS EXHIBITION PART I
HOLD THE DOOR
On view: October 25 – November 8
Opening Reception: October 25, 5-7 PM
Gallery Talk: November 7, 11:30 AM

The Martha and Robert Fogelman Galleries of Contemporary Art presents Hold the Door, Part I of the Fall 2019 BFA Thesis Exhibition, featuring the work of four graduating seniors of The University of Memphis Department of Art: Ivy-Jade Edwards, Jeff Carter, Robert Fairchild IV, and Nicholas Svoboda. The exhibition is a compilation of works in a variety of media including painting and sculpture where color is paramount. The presentation celebrates the completion of their undergraduate studies and the culmination of each student’s artistic exploration and experiences.

FALL 2019 MFA THESIS EXHIBITION
CHRISTOPHER DAVIS: CHATTER IN THE SKULL
On view: October 25 – November 8
Opening Reception: October 25, 5-7 PM

Chatter in the Skull, the MFA Thesis Exhibition of Christopher Davis, is a phrase used by philosopher Alan Watts in reference to over-thinking and its relationship to reality: “‘Chatter in the skull’…perpetual and compulsive repetition of words…of reckoning and calculating.” As an artist, Davis finds himself in this “perpetual and compulsive repetition of words.” Many of the words and phrases in his visual vocabulary are borrowed from the unique landscape of Southern Illinois. He has been repeating some of these forms and phrases for the better part of two decades—assembling fragments of beauty into monuments, fetishes, markers, and relics from humble, easily recognizable materials.

Christopher Davis was born in a double-wide trailer in Southern Illinois. He was raised as a member of a religious fellowship where he also attended school through the twelfth grade. These early regional, economic, and philosophical influences have given him a unique lens through which he filters the world around him. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from Southern Illinois University in 2004, a Master of Arts from Arkansas State University in 2012, and will graduate in December 2019 with a Master of Fine Arts from The University of Memphis.