Ron Davis (b. 1937) constructs his lithographs through meticulous planning of isometric projections—three-dimensional objects where parallel lines remain parallel rather than converging at vanishing points—and forced perspective, which manipulates scale and angle to create exaggerated spatial depth. Each composition begins with architectural calculations that map how overlapping planes and precisely angled edges can generate the illusion of volume without relying on traditional shading or atmospheric effects. Davis exploits the flatness of the print surface by employing unexpected color juxtapositions—often placing saturated hues adjacent to create optical tension—so that geometric forms appear to tilt, float, or recede in ambiguous depths while never fully committing to three-dimensionality. This deliberate ambiguity between surface and space, achieved through his technical methods, transforms each work into a visual puzzle where the eye moves between reading shapes as flat patterns and perceiving them as solid objects inhabiting impossible architecture, an effect that shifts with sustained attention and rewards repeated viewing.

1983
Lithograph, 16/39
47" h x 39" w

Artwork donated by Dwight Kendall