Civil Discourse II Sculpture

In 2001, Judith Davis retired from a successful career as an executive in the high tech industry. A month after retiring, she “unplugged” from that world, left her laptop and cell phone at home, and took a self-imposed five-month sabbatical to an island off the coast of Fiji. Known worldwide for their capacity to nurture, the Fijians recognized Judith’s need to guard her privacy while she slowly recovered from the relentless demands of the ever-changing world of communication dictated by the internet. Sleeping, writing , and swimming in the South Pacific Ocean gradually washed away the remnants of that rat race. What emerged was the desire for a more contemplative, introspective, and creative life. At the risk of being dubbed eccentric, Judith describes her emergence as an artist as a “Tsunami of the Soul”. Her life as a sculptor began while rummaging around antique barns where she found herself mysteriously drawn to the sculptural beauty and patina of discarded rusty metal. Secretive about the origins of the various elements of her work, she swears that these found objects tell her what they want to be, reflecting what matters most to her – the arts, culture wars, politics, and family. Inspired by her fascination with Carl Jung’s archetypal shadow work, what emerges are captivating works whose beauty is illuminated and intensified by shadows. Over the years, Judith has come to think of her sculptures as her “voice”. “A Song for Newtown” honors the lives lost in the massacre at Sandy Hook. “Civil Discourse” encourages respectful political debate. “Upward Spiral” celebrates recovery from addiction. “Ode to the Dalai Lama” is a call for peace. Judith grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts. She earned a BA, an MBA, and was awarded the distinction of Presidential Scholar. She spent a year studying in Paris with a group of twenty students and a professor who drove them all over France, visiting the great cathedrals and museums. She attributes her love for art to having been fortunate enough to visit the private studios of Picasso, Matisse, and Winslow Homer, and to her years as an executive, travelling to cities at home and abroad, where she always made time to visit art galleries and museums. She lives with her husband and artisan, John, their three cats and her beloved hearing dog, Annabel.