The Art Historian:
Artist's statements:
'For years I have studies the history of art, the way indigenous peoples from Russia to Mexico reclaimed their identities. Consequently the symbolism and psychology of my own culture and Welsh history has developed'.
'I think it was probably David Tinker…who introduced me to the paintings of Paul Klee and to the idea of combining writing with painting'.
'Yes, it began in the sixties. I could have written on anything I liked when I was in art school. There was very little about the history of art, a small number of publications relative to the boom of the Sixtie'.
'I started to teach art history at the extramural department of the University because I had studied it for two years in Switzerland. Thereafter I got a job as a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh'.
In the first half of the 1970s Ivor Davies worked primarily on the Avant Garde in Russia. It was the subject of his Doctoral Thesis ("Certain Aspects of Art and Theory in Russia from 1905 to 1924 in their Relationship to the Development of Avant-Garde Art and Ideas in the West", Univ.of Edigburgh, 1974). The themes of his writings at this time ranged from Suprematism & Nihilism, Art & Design in post-revolution Russia to Red Art & Primitivism in the Avant-Garde in Russia.
In the second half his concerns were with Italian Futurism & French Orphism, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Costumes and the Arts and Duchamp's irrational work, e.g. the large Glass.
In the 1980 he wrote extensively on artists such as De Chirico, Chagal, Tinguely & mechanical art
, Diego Rivera & Mexican Art, Cesanne and Gaugin. He was also interested in the sources of metaphysical painting in Schopenhauer & Nietzsche, in the evolution of art as well as the definition and historical analysis of modern art.
A decade later he concentrated increasingly on matters concerning contemporary Art in/from Wales. In particular he focussed on the issue of museums for the Visual Arts in Wales.
To date, his major work as an art historian is his publication "L'Eta Delle Avanguardie / The Age of the Vanguards", published in Italian by Unions
Tipographico-Editrice Torinese in 2002 (see Bookreview).
Publications on Art History:
1970 (Jan.) - 'Suprematism & Nihilism', in KLEPHT, pp.8-9.
1971 (Mar.) - 'Art & Design in Russia after the Revolution', in ADAPTOR , pp.40-44.
(Apr.) - 'Red Art 1917-1971', in ART & ARTISTS , Vol.6, pp.10-14.
(May) - 'Socialist realism & Conservative Art', in New Edinburgh Review, No.12
pp.20-24
1973 (Sep.) - 'Primitivism in the Fist Wave of the 20th Century Avant-Garde in Russia', in
STUDIO INTERNATIONAL, Vol.186, No.958, pp.80-84.
1975 (Mar.) - 'Western European Art Forms influenced by Nietzsche & Bergson before 1914,
particularly Italian Futurism & French Orphism', in ART INTERNATIONAL,
Vol.19, pp.49-55.
(Aug.) - 'Remembering Charles Rennie Mackintosh' (a recorded interview with Mrs.Mary
Sturrock, June Bedford & Ivor Davies), in THE CONNOISSEUR, Vol.183
No.73, pp.200-288.
(………) - 'Corresponding Styles in Costumes & the Arts', in Fashion 1900-1939,
Scottish Arts Council Exhibition, pp.50-57 & 59-79.
1978 (Aug.) - 'Berlin Realism Today & its Legacy', in ARTSCRIBE, No.13, pp.29-34.
1979 (Mar.) - 'New reflections on the Large Glass: the most logical sources for Duchamp's
irrational work', in ART HISTORY (Journal of the Assoc. of Art Historians),
Vol.1, No.5, pp….
1981 (Spring) - 'Modern Art: a definition & historical analysis of the terminology &
components', in ASPECTS, No.14, pp.7-9.
1982 (Aug.) - 'De Chirico: the Towers, Arcades & City Squares of Turin', in ARTSCRIBE,
No.36, pp……
(Sep.) - 'Ghost in the Machine: Tinguely & the mechanical in Art', in ARTSCRIBE,
No.37, pp……
1982 - 'From Darwin's Inheritance to the Evolution of Art' in In Common
Denominators in Science & Art', symposium, publ. Univ.of Aberdeen, pp.72-
79.
1983 (Mar.) - 'Giorgio de Chirico: the Sources of metaphysical Painting in Schopenhauer &
Nietzsche', in ART INTERNATIONAL, pp…..
1985 (Jan.) - 'Chagall's Origins', in ARTSCRIBE, No.50, pp.52-56.
1987 (Nov.) - 'Diego Rivera & Mexican Art', in STUDIO INTERNATIONAL, Vol.200, No.1018,
pp.30-41.
1988 (Mar.) - 'Diego Rivera, Murlunydd Marcsaidd Mecsico', in BARN, No.302, pp.20-25.
(Meh.) - 'Cezanne, Y Blynyddoedd Cynnar', in BARN, No.305, pp.22-29.
(Rha.) - 'Gaugin yn Llydaw', in BARN, No.311, pp.22-31.
1990 (Aug.) - 'Only a Step away - Museums of Nord-Pas de Calais', in MUSEUMS JOURNAL,
Vol.90, No.8, pp……..
1991 (Apr.) - 'Claude Monet: a scientific perspective considered', in ART LINE, Vol.5, No.4,
pp.21-23.
1993 (---) - 'Breaking down the Barrage' , in THE ART WORLD DIRECTORY-Arts Review
Yearbook, pp.116-117.
1994 (Mar.) - 'Focus on Wales', in ART REVIEW, pp.58-60.
1998 (Jan.) - 'Compas - Cardiff artist-led organisations', in ARTISTS' NEWSLETTER, pp….
1999 - I.Davies & C.Lloyd-Morgan, "Darganfod Celf Cymru", publ. Gwasg Prifysgol
Cymru, Caerdydd/Cardiff.
2001 (----) - 'A Concise History of World Museums & the Welsh Dimension', in THE WEALTH
OF THE WORLD, a symposium, publ. The Faculty of Art & Design, UWIC, pp….
2002 (----) - "The Age of the Vanguards", publ. Unions Tipographico-Editrice Torinese.
Book Reviews:
1971 (Aug.) - 'W.Spiers: Josef Albers', in ART & ARTISTS, Vol.6, p.61
(Sep.) - 'P.W.Schwartz: The Cubists', in ART & ARTISTS, Vol.6, pp.68-69.
1972 (-----) - 'Documentary Monographs in Modern Art: Moholy Nagy', in NEW EDINBURGH
REVIEW, No.19, pp.30-31.
(Sep.) - 'Naum Gabo: of divers arts', in ART & ARTISTS, Vol.7, p.53.
1974 (Dec.) - 'The Tradition of Constructivism', in ART & ARTISTS, Vol.9, pp.44-45
1992 (Oct.) - 'Peter Lord, the Aethetics of Relevance' (Gomer Press), in UNED GELF-
THE ART UNIT, No.2, pp.7-9.