Andersch, Joerg George Davis The Mercury 25 March, 2006 p.10

George Davis
Colville Street Gallery
Colville St , Battery Point
Price range: $770 to $18,500

With an exhibition record stretching back to the early 1950's, George Davis has seen the inside of a good many galleries.

Showing now at the Colville Street Gallery, his work is as fresh as I remember it from the mid-60's, having first been acquainted with his then controversial mural at the old ABC-TV building, which now houses the Conservatorium of Music.

Teaching the painterly skills has been part of his life and when one looks at his track record, a literany of commissions and prizes has been his reward over the years. Well traveled, with studies overseas, Davis 's reputation led him to be part of the 2 nd Paris Biennale for Young Painters in the early 60's, with several shows in London and representation in major overseas and national galleries.

In the 1980's, Davis won much admiration for his work with scientific exploration into Antarctic and subAntarctic fauna, which resulted in some fine exhibitions. However, participation in portrait exhibitions also won him many admirers, with some portraiture among the landscapes in this show.

Companion to Tasmanian History
Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies
University of Tasmania 2005

George Davis

George Arthur Davis (b 1930), artist. A love of all living things is at the core of Davis ' art. A gifted draughtsman, his drawings reveal a deep understanding of his subject due to the acuity of observation and command over form and structure. Portraits have occupied Davis most in maturity. He was also responsible for the portraits of ten composers in the restored dome of the Theatre Royal, Hobart, in 1984. Born in Hobart , Davis was a student of Jack Carington Smith and Dorothy Stoner at Hobart Technical College , and studied in London with a Tasmanian Travelling Scholarship. His work has been a feature of Tasmanian art since he first exhibited in 1951. Surveys of his work were staged at the University of Tasmania in 1980 and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in 1988.

Further reading: H Kolenburg, ‘Three Painters in Tasmania – George Davis, David Chapman and Anton Holzner' Art in Australia 22/4 , 1985: TMAG, George Davis , Hobart, 1988