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Vince Cavasin/APLAUDD 313-510-7610 |
D. Victor Pytko 313-268-1053 |
Detroit, MI – November 18, 2003 – Detroit artist Matthew Loflin Davis' opening at Gallery 4731 was a resounding success, with over 100 people stopping by over the course of the evening to check out Davis' rock and metal sculptures as well as his photography.
Opening attendees were enthusiastic in their praise of Davis and the show.
The "gotta see it to believe it" quality of Davis' stone work was summed up by John Larson: "I've heard so much about the rock formations, but you really have to see them in person to appreciate the talent that goes into constructing them," said the Detroit area entrepreneur. "Matthew is an artist in every sense of the word, and his creations are truly unique."
"I was struck by the number of sculptures that had human characteristics, reminiscent of Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore and others. I had to keep reminding myself that Matthew did this from chunks of broken sidewalk that were randomly collected and not until he carefully balanced them atop one another--without any kind of mortar or glue--did they transform into stone people," said Victor Pytko, another attendee at the opening
Skip Davis, who owns one of Matthew's photographs (and is unrelated to the artist), was also impressed by the delicate balance visible in Matthew's stone work: "Matthew Davis defies gravity--and description. His stone sculptures are simultaneously delicate and powerful, fragile and enduring; they touch the past and they celebrate the future," said Skip.
For photos of the gallery installation, visit http://mldavis.com/images/MattyRocks.htm.
The 4731 Gallery, located at 4731 Grand River in Detroit is, in the words of Detroit Free Press writer Keri Guten Cohen, "a new kind of art gallery." The gallery, which features shows by local as well as internationally-acclaimed artists, includes studios housing an eclectic mix of Detroit-area artists. You can reach the gallery at 313.894.4731, or by emailing 4731gallery@sbcglobal.net.
Matthew Loflin Davis, a well-known Detroit-area sculptor and photographer,
has received overwhelming public support for his work on Belle Isle—so much so
that the Mayor’s office intervened to keep his installation there standing
when the Detroit Recreation department threatened to take it down. Davis has
been featured several times on WJBK Channel 2 news in Detroit, was the subject
of an episode of Art
Beat on WTVS Detroit, and his work has
been covered by WDIV Channel 4 news, the Detroit Free Press, the Ann Arbor News, the Holland
Sentinel,
and other newspapers nationally. Several Detroit-area art lovers have
commissioned him to do stone and metal sculptures.
For more information on Matthew Loflin Davis and his work, visit www.mldavis.com. For more information on the 4731 Gallery, visit www.4731.com. For more information on APLAUDD: Art for Public Life And Urban Development in Detroit, a group that Davis co-founded, visit www.aplaudd.org.
Copyright © 2003 by Matthew Loflin Davis. All rights reserved.