Jill Daves, a Los Angeles-based artist, utilized the texture of the walls to create the latest exhibit at the Tall Wall Space, “Divots and Bumps.”
A reception for Daves was held Feb. 19 at the Tall Wall Space, located in the Arts and Communications Building at the University of La Verne, to officially open the exhibition.
A group of more than 20 people attended the reception; food and refreshments were available for the attendees.
“It’s different from the past exhibits we’ve had,” art major Michael Gutierrez said. “It opens consciousness on what is allowed imaginative in that space.”
Daves used the Tall Wall’s texture to create the immense artwork that extends through most of two stories of wall space. She used only color pencils to achieve the look of her piece.
“‘Divots and Bumps’ transforms imperfections found in the wall’s surface into blossoming epicenters by topographically mapping hundreds of divots and bumps with color pencil,” according to the press release written by art department manager Dion Johnson. “A series of colorful concentric rings spread out and overlap, creating a prismatic constellation that hovers like a dense, glowing cloud.”
The artist has been seen all through January and the early part of February working on the piece, which took a lot of the time and concentration since it was made only with colored pencils.
“A lot of hard work that went into every detail,” Gutierrez said. “Every line is crafted with definition.”
Originally from Tullahoma, Tenn., Daves earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a master’s of fine arts degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
Daves and her family currently reside in Los Angeles.
“My work derives from the cynical nature of time and what people consider history,” Daves said. “I like exploding the unnoticed past. I think of things abstractly.”
Past works have been exhibited in galleries throughout the United States including the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Gallery Co. in Minneapolis, ISpace and Pharmaka in Chicago.
The imperfect ellipse that is “Divots and Bumps” seems to be formed of many different colors and flower shaped circles.
“It’s gorgeous,” Amri Covarrubias, senior art major, said. “It looks like little ink blots from far away but once you examine it closely you see all these little colorful lines.”
“It seems to capture the architecture of life,” Johnson said. “It flickers or punctuates as soon as you try to pin it down.”
“It adds color and variety to the wall,” Gutierrez said.
The Tall Wall Space is known for presenting temporary exhibitions by young and emerging contemporary artists.
It is a unique exhibition space that spans two stories and engages the entire interior of the lobby in the Arts and Communications Building.
“Divots and Bumps” will run through Dec. 20.
The Tall Wall Space is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment.
For additional information, call 909- 593-3511, ext. 4373, or email johnsond@ulv.edu.
Maria J. Velasco can be reached at mvelasco@ulv.edu.
Maria J. Velasco
