In the art world, trauma is treasure. Thus, the New York welcome now being given to Los Angeles artist Gerald Davis (b. 1974), whose pale, raw figuration is on view at both John Connelly Presents in Chelsea and at Jeannie Greenberg’s Salon 94 uptown, Sept. 7-Oct. 14, 2006. Davis’ autobiographical works limn a boyhood resonating with icky misery and achy longing. Done mostly in monochrome, the dozen largish drawings at Connelly are all made with cherry red pencil, while the five oils at Salon 94 have a slippery-soft palette of grays and muted tomato and lemon tones.
