Ronald Davis (American, b.1937) is a painter famed for his use of Geometric Abstraction, Abstract Illusionism, shaped canvas painting, and 3D computer graphics in his work. He was born in Santa Monica, CA, and was raised in Cheyenne, WY. He studied at the University of Wyoming from 1955 to 1956.
From 1956 to 1959, Davis worked as a sheet metal mechanic. It was in 1969 that he developed an interest in painting. He enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute in 1960, where he studied painting. At the time, the prevailing movement was Abstract Expressionism, which has since influenced many of his works. The artist graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1964. He then moved to Los Angeles, CA, that same year. Davis had his first solo exhibition at the Nicholas Wilder Gallery in Los Angeles during the following year. He continued to live and work in Los Angeles until 1971. In 1972, he relocated to Malibu, CA, where he lived until 1990. In 1991, he moved to Arroyo Hondo, NM.
In 1963, Davis started to paint in a distinct geometric, hard-edged style. In 1972, he ventured into sound sculpture and electronic music composition. He returned to using acrylic paints in 1973 and went on to paint the Floater Series, the Music Series, the Object Paintings, the Flatland Series, the Freeway and Freeline Series, and the Spiral Series. In 1988, he began to use Macintosh’s 3D rendering and animation programs to design paintings, which he used extensively for some time. In 1995, he returned to painting using a wax medium on wood, which he named the Wax Series.
Davis has numerous exhibitions to his name, including both solo shows and group exhibitions. His work has been exhibited in galleries, such as the Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach, CA, and the New Orleans Museum of Modern Art in City Park, NO. Some of his artwork continues to be displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, NY, and the Tate Gallery in London, England. He continues to reside on his ranch in Arroyo Hondo, NM.