Roots of Knowledge Speaker Series: Courtney R. Davis

800 West University Parkway,Orem UT 84097

14 April, 2022

Description

Join us for a presentation by Courtney R. Davis in the beautiful Roots of Knowledge stained-glass gallery! Free and open to all! “From Seurat to Gaugin: Fashion, Femininity & the Structure of Power” - Presented by Courtney R. DavisThis presentation will explore the work of post-impressionistic artists Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat by focusing on the social-cultural implications of clothing, fabric, and fashion. The paintings of Gauguin and Seurat are among the most recognizable of the late nineteenth century—the former known for his expressionist depictions of Tahitian life and the latter for his meticulous pointillist scenes of Parisian recreation. While their innovative approaches to shape, color, and brushwork would exert a tremendous influence on early Modernism, the content and symbolism of their work is perhaps even more significant, particularly related to depictions of women and the exploration of the feminine ideal. This presentation will focus on the juxtaposition of Gauguin's “Tahitian Women on the Beach” (1891) and Seurat's “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” (1884–86) in order to investigate powerful socio-cultural currents related to power, gender, and identity during the age of French colonialism.About Courtney R. DavisCourtney Davis is the Interim Dean of the School of the Arts. Having taught art history at Utah Valley University since 2007, she was most recently the Department Chair of the Art & Design Department. Courtney has been recognized as the UVU Alumni Outstanding Educator of the Year for the School of the Arts on three occasions and has also twice received a Faculty Senate Award of Excellence. Courtney holds a Master of Art in Art History & Curatorial Studies and a Juris Doctor, both from Brigham Young University. She teaches a range of art history courses, focusing on the history of art from the nineteenth century to the contemporary era. Her research areas include early eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European painting, the American Gilded Age, contemporary art, and copyright law. ______________________Roots of Knowledge is a stained-glass panorama of history and human drama. The intricate details incorporated into every window represent years of painstaking research on the events and people that shaped humankind from the days of wooly mammoths and cavemen to the iPhone. Created by Holdman Studios and installed at the UVU Fulton Library in 2016, this artistic landmark comprises 80 individual panes and took 12 years to complete.For information on where to park at UVU, please visit https://www.uvu.edu/parking/visitor-parking.html.