Francis Davison

More about the book

This update reviews the life and art of London-born painter and collagist Francis Davison (1919-1984). After studying English and Anthropology at Cambridge, he began writing poetry and drawing in 1946. Following his marriage to artist Margaret Mellis in 1948, they settled in Suffolk, where they managed a smallholding before relocating to Southwold. By the early 1950s, Davison's paintings evolved into simplified shapes, leading him to abandon painting in favor of collage. Over the next two decades, he eliminated references to landscape and expanded his color palette, relying exclusively on found, used, and unpainted papers, which he cut and fitted with precision. By the end of his life, he had mastered a method of tearing paper that allowed him complete control over his materials. A private individual, Davison avoided publicity and preferred minimal information accompanying his work, resulting in a lack of recognition during his lifetime, with only one significant exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in 1983. However, critical interest in his work has grown since his death, and he is now regarded as a major abstract collagist, with exhibitions in various public and commercial galleries. His work is included in the Arts Council collection and has garnered admiration from contemporaries like Patrick Heron and Roger Hilton.