MJ Connors Davison

MJ Connors Davison
Portland, Oregon, USA

STATEMENT

I compose visual events using collage, as portals that invite interaction with the subconscious mind. Imagery that evokes the archetypal, ancestral, and natural worlds inspires me the most. Ancient cultural references get juxtaposed with those of the contemporary and popular, as my personal experiences are staged within larger arenas for examination. Oftentimes, elements of architecture give frameworks to these arenas that exist simultaneously indoors and out. The narratives that emerge between faceless figures and that which surrounds them shows our subservience to forces greater than ourselves. Individuality is de-emphasized by elements of nature subsuming facial features, joining figures with their surroundings. They are each situated within dynamic moments to signify how we all live within constant opportunity for actions that yield various results. My family of origin, matriarchal lineage, and identity as a woman within American culture are frequent, veiled subjects. Typically, my works begin with one point of focus from which a surrounding world is built in layers upon golden means frameworks. Then, my process continues with a mix of torn edges and those precisely cut, sometimes using paint to delineate areas of movement and stillness. Text is minimal, used as form, or as suggestive clues. My goal as an artist is to invite each viewer into the role of co-creator, experiencing relatable stories, viewpoints, and insights, as they are transported into alternate realities.

BIO

MJ Connors Davison is a mixed media artist specializing in collage. She invites viewers into various dynamic happenings where self and society, the indoors and outdoors, all interweave as alternative realities. Enjoying both solo projects and those with a collaborative theme, MJ yearly organizes and curates the regional project “Exquisite Community” for Kolaj Magazine’s World Collage Day. With her MFA in Book Arts and Printmaking from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she has been exhibiting her mixed media artworks across the US, for decades, in group and solo shows. While living in Philadelphia and New York City, MJ taught paper making, bookmaking, and printmaking. Currently, in both the Greater Portland region and the San Francisco Bay Area, she teaches design principles applied to collage. Commissioned artworks are applied to book covers for writers and promotional materials for musicians. Notable collections of MJ’s limited edition books and mixed media artworks include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, The Smithsonian Libraries, Washington DC, and The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, as well as art centers, colleges and universities in the US and Canada, and numerous private patrons.

ARTIST CONTACT

[click to email]
mjconnorsdavison.com

IMAGES