“Jan Davis is a gardener who recognises similarities in the discipline required in the studio and in the garden - the planning, the labour, the pleasure, and the documentation. Her aesthetic pursuits in the studio also have their reflection in the architecture of house and land and a relationship to the manner in which her house sits in the garden. A residency at Gunalan International Printmaking Base (China) delivered Davis a studio with an extensive view of their vegetable garden. The colour and brushwork in the art of horticulture I and the art of horticulture II show the influence of
Chinese ceramics. Both prints exude a sense of fecundity. I wanted to enhance this through the addition of field recordings taken in local gardens. Viewing the prints we hear the sounds of garden life: the chatter of small birds, flying insects, frogs, a small stream. I also included manipulated recordings of Chinese chimes, drums, and bowls to lightly acknowledge the geographic context of the prints.”

Jay-Dea Lopez
Curator