Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1525586
124 maconmagazine.com | August/September 2024 Kr i s D av i s INTERVIEWED BY MM STAFF PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ARTIST We live on the surface of history," artist Kris Davis told MM, describing the inspiration for her upcoming solo exhibition, "Macon Traces," at Macon Arts Alliance. "Behind us are generations of people who have inhabited this place, and the lives they lived, the buildings they built, and the experiences they had influence how we live. Likewise, our lives will influence those who come after us, so we are only a moment on a vast continuum. With these pieces, I hope to evoke the sense of layers of time and place that contribute to the experience of Macon." Her mixed-media, abstract paintings are "inspired by Tattnall Square Park, Mercer University, the architecture of Downtown Macon, Amerson River Park, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Terminal Station, and other locations," she shared. "Each piece uses elements of collage and abstraction to create layers that interplay, so the viewer has a reason to look closely at the piece's details. You will see the surface initially, but you will see the layers when you look more deeply." Tennessee-born and Atlanta-raised, she studied art in college, spent 15 years as a teacher, and for the past 16 years, she's made her art and raised her family in Macon. "This is my home," she told MM. "I want to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to exhibit this show. Creating it has allowed me to learn more about the city, which makes me feel even more connected to my community." Let's take a deeper look at her artistic journey. Describe your artistic process. I have been painting and experimenting with art since college. I developed techniques to adhere pastel to canvas and to embed pigment into textured paper. With this series, I am exploring collage, pattern, and distortion in abstracts, which has been an exciting and liberating process. "The b end of the Ocmulge e River flowing through Amerson River Park ... is extremely imp or tant in Macon's history. Even if a p erson do es re co gnize the shap e, they don't have to understand its historical significance to find a meaning in it ." A r t i s t s p o t l i g h t