Eight Blocks or a Field (Bone Doll I)
About this artwork
These are intricately drawn portraits of childhood dolls. Artist Kate Davis drew these ‘emergent dolls’ at the Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh. The dolls were assembled from simple found materials, including dried beans and bone fragments. They were collected by Edward Lovett (1852-1933) from British slums at the start of the 20th century. Lovett admired the children’s ingenuity and creativity: ‘It is remarkable how clever some of the poor children are, and how they continue to make quite a decent little dolly “out of nothing.”’ Davis’s drawing style, inspired by the portraiture of classical French painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–1867), elevates their humble nature, revelling in material detail and expressing their personalities.
Published September 2022
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artist:Kate Davis (born 1977) New Zealander
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title:Eight Blocks or a Field (Bone Doll I)
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date created:2013/6
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materials:Pencil on paper
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measurements:32.00 x 30.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Presented by the Contemporary Art Society, 2016
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accession number:GMA 5553
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gallery:
Kate Davis
Kate Davis
Kate Davis works with a wide range of media including drawing, printmaking, installation and film. Born in New Zealand, Davis studied at the Glasgow School of Art and is currently based in Glasgow. Her work looks at certain histories or historical artworks, to reconsider what these stories or...