Exhibition
Noah Davis
The Conductor (detail), 2014, Noah Davis. Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland © The Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy The Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner. Photo: Kerry McFate
When
Opens January 24
Where
Main Building, Morgan, Korman, and Field Galleries 150-155
About
Noah Davis began with a humble aspiration: âto represent the people around meâ. Born in Seattle in 1983, he made LA his chosen home, where he worked to capture the intricacies of contemporary Black life with tenderness and depth. Beloved as a painter, this major retrospective presents other aspects of his practice too â from collecting photography from flea markets to making collages, websites, sculpture and eventually his own museum.
The exhibition is making its final stop at The Philadelphia Art Museum on an international tour organized with DAS MINSK in Potsdam, the Barbican in London, and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Highlights will include 40 Acres and a Unicorn (2007), a striking blend of fantasy and history; Isis (2009), a portrait of his wife Karon depicted as the Egyptian goddess; Savage Wilds (2012), a series in which Davis cast his gaze upon the complex portrayals of Black subjects on daytime television; and the renowned Pueblo del Rio series (2014), paintings that reimagine one of the oldest, largest, and most architecturally significant public housing developments in Los Angeles.
Curators
The exhibition is curated by Eleanor Nairne, The Keith L. and Katherine Sachs Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art, Philadelphia Art Museum, and Wells Fray-Smith, Curator, the Barbican, with support from Camila Rondon, Departmental Coordinator, Philadelphia Art Museum.
Organizers
Noah Davis is organized by the Barbican, London, and initiated with DAS MINSK, Potsdam. The exhibition was shown at DAS MINSK, Potsdam, September 7, 2024 â January 5, 2025; the Barbican London, February 6, â May 11, 2025; and the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles June 8 â August 31, 2025.
Organizers
Noah Davis is organized by the Barbican, London, and initiated with DAS MINSK, Potsdam. The exhibition was shown at DAS MINSK, Potsdam, September 7, 2024 â January 5, 2025; the Barbican London, February 6, â May 11, 2025; and the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles June 8 â August 31, 2025.
Support
Noah Davis is made possible by the Daniel W. Dietrich II Fund for Excellence in Contemporary Art,Kathleen C. and John J. F. Sherrerd Fund for Exhibitions, the Laura and William C. Buck Endowment for Exhibitions, and Ralph Citino and Lawrence Taylor.
All exhibitions at the Philadelphia Art Museum are underwritten by the Annual Exhibition Fund. Generous support is provided by Andrea Baldeck, M.D.; Julia and David Fleishner; Robert Hayes; and Mark W. Strong and Dana Strong.
Noah Davis
Photo by Ed Templeton
Image Gallery
40 Acres and a Unicorn, 2007, Noah Davis. Private collection © The Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy David Zwirner. Photo: Anna Arca
1975 (8), 2013, Noah Davis. Private collection © The Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy The Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner. Photo: Kerry McFate
Isis, 2009, Noah Davis. Mellon Foundation Art Collection © The Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy The Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner. Photo: Kerry McFate
Mary Jane, 2008, Noah Davis. Private collection; courtesy David
Zwirner © The Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy The Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner. Photo: Kerry McFate
Painting for My Dad, 2011, Noah Davis. Rubell Museum © The Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy The Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner. Photo: Kerry McFate
The Conductor, 2014, Noah Davis. Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland © The Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy The Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner. Photo: Kerry McFate
Untitled, 2015, Noah Davis. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Marie-JosĂ©e and Henry R. Kravis in honor of Jerry Speyerâs 80th birthday, 2020 © The Estate of Noah Davis. Courtesy The Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner. Photo: Kerry McFate