Paul Davis’s ‘Inklings’

“Inklings,” the art of Paul Davis, will be on view in a show running April 8 through May 5 at Keyes Art in Sag Harbor.

“Most of these works have been private, done to refresh and create surprise for myself,” said Davis in a statement. “I try to empty my mind, put down a line, see what it suggests, and go from there, experimenting with techniques and process. In their making, I learn a lot.”

Paul Davis is known for his iconic images for posters, theaters, and museums. Kurt Vonnegut praised Davis’s work as “theater itself.” In 1968 he was invited by Galerie Delpire in Paris to have his first solo exhibition of paintings, and in 1977, Gilles deBure, curator of the Galerie d’Actualité in the Centre Georges Pompidou, presented a solo exhibition of Davis’s work as part of the museum’s opening festivities. His distinctive paintings and posters for advertising, publishing and entertainment have been the subject of museum and gallery exhibitions throughout Japan, Italy, and cities around the U.S.

Davis quickly caught the eye and imagination of art directors in the U.S. and globally. This led to being in demand as an illustrator for magazines, record covers, and advertising. He formed the Paul Davis Studio in 1963, working first in New York City and later in Sag Harbor. His style had a tremendous impact on the field of illustration which have appeared in Life, Time, Playboy, Look, The Saturday Evening Post, Sports Illustrated, Harper’s, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, The New York Times, The New Yorker, amongst many publications.

Davis’s most instantly recognizable work was done for Joseph Papp, founder of the Public Theater, from 1974 through Papp’s death in 1991. A permanent tribute featuring some of his images is on display at the theater on Lafayette Street in New York City. He was the designer of the first poster for the Hampton Classic, and regularly contributed to festival campaigns for Bay Street Theater.

His images are an essential element of the general aesthetic milieu of the East End. Davis’s work is included in collections throughout the world, including the poster collection of MOMA. In 1987, The Drama Desk created a special award to recognize Davis’s iconic posters for Joseph Papp’s Public Theater. He has also been honored by the Art Directors Club and the Society of Illustrators.

In an era when “some people were limited by being funny, by being comic, or by the way they drew,” Davis said, “I realized I wanted to make a style that was so expandable that I could work on any subject in the same way, and I wanted something that was very flexible but true to whatever the vision was.”

Keyes Art is at 45 Main Street, Sag Harbor. Visit juliekeyesart.com for details.