From Friday, June 26 through Friday, October 2, 2009, Jacksonville International (JAX) will present an exhibition combining three distinct points of view from local artists Cookie Davis, Elisa Johnson and Lara Summers.
Summers’ work is almost exclusively figure work, and predominately the female form. She uses a multi-layered process incorporating both drawing and painting using multiple layers of glaze.
“I generally like to hear what people see with their own eyes when they look at my work, so I don’t like to over explain,” says Summers. “I think it messes up the viewing experience. The thing that really inspires me is seeing anything done really well, especially a craft…be it painting, writing, what have you. That always makes me want to go home and paint.”
Johnson captures nature in a unique style all her own. She has a Bachelors of Art in Photojournalism from Indiana University. She initially began pursuing her own photography capturing the Florida landscape, though has spent the last five years working as a Radiographer, RT(R), in the health field. It was during this period that she began photographing again and produced a series of X-Ray flower photographs.
Davis began drawing classes when she was seven and through high school and college worked with charcoal, oil and pastels. Then she had the good fortune to explore three dimensional work which has led to her success as a sculptor.
“My sculptures represent many facets of womanhood and ethnic backgrounds. They are black, or brown, or white, they are the colors of the world,” notes Davis. “I create through their body language a message of dignity, hope and love. I am often asked where I get my ideas, the answer is, everywhere! Every day people or events catch my attention and become an image and a story.”
