Art
Scrap Metal Transformed: One Man’s Journey
Rick Davis is a self-described "electrician who has to do art." He sparked controversy numerous times over the years with his carefully crafted organic sculptures created from scrap metal.
Davis presented at the opening of his art show, "Reclamation," in the Corner Gallery in Boswell Hall on the North Idaho College campus. The show has been ongoing since September and closes November 3.
“I am fascinated with making scrap metal come to life and shaping it into icons of nature and spirit," Davis said. "The distinctive look of my pieces comes from the care I put into hand fabricating and coloring each part.”
He said he is always on the lookout for scrap metal and tries to find materials and supplies before buying them.
This tradesman takes his passion for expressive metal working far beyond the ordinary with creations like "St. Francis of Assisi," "Hunger," and “Ganesh.”
Davis said he is "interested in a reaction; the only disappointment is no reaction" to his work.
[tps_header] Rick Davis is a self-described “electrician who has to do art.” He sparked controversy numerous times over the years with his carefully crafted organic sculptures created from scrap metal.
Davis presented at the opening of his art show, “Reclamation,” in the Corner Gallery in Boswell Hall on the North Idaho College campus. The show has been ongoing since September and closes November 3.
“I am fascinated with making scrap metal come to life and shaping it into icons of nature and spirit,” Davis said. “The distinctive look of my pieces comes from the care I put into hand fabricating and coloring each part.”
He said he is always on the lookout for scrap metal and tries to find materials and supplies before buying them.
This tradesman takes his passion for expressive metal working far beyond the ordinary with creations like “St. Francis of Assisi,” “Hunger,” and “Ganesh.”
Davis said he is “interested in a reaction; the only disappointment is no reaction” to his work.
[/tps_header]
Davis said that inspiration for his pieces comes from his Celtic roots, yoga practice and love of nature, as well as appreciation for Native American culture. He said his yoga teacher suggested he create a project around the ancient Hindu deity Ganesh or “remover of obstacles,” and the project became a 3.5-year journey through challenges he was navigating in his personal life at the time.
Professor Michael Horswill, a sculpture instructor at NIC and local public artist, contributed to the opening presentation he attended along with his art students. Horswill encouraged students to take a lot of classes and learn to use various tools and materials.
“Lack of knowledge limits what’s possible,” Horswill said. “School is an opportunity to try all the tools and not buy things yourself.”
Davis told the story of when his sculpture, “The Great Blue Heron,” was stolen from its location in front of a restaurant in Coeur d’Alene. He said the owner called him up, devastated, the morning she and her husband came to work and discovered it missing.
“Mr. Blue,” as he is affectionately called, was returned a few months later to the delight of the restaurant owners and community, and remains standing on the corner of Third and Lakeside as part of the Coeur d’Alene community public art collection.
Davis lives on the Spokane River and has a studio in Coeur d’Alene. His latest creation, “Evolution by Monsanto,” is a collaborative work with Hank Chiappetta on display at Spokane City Hall.
“I hope when people look at my pieces they see the creative power that can come from sculpting industrial hardware and metal stock into art,” Davis said.
[/tps_footer]