Bill Davis, Sculptor: His Life & Work

Illustrated in colour with photographs of the artist's sculptures and reproductions of his graphic works, this title covers six decades of his artistic output and tells the story of his life. It includes his manifesto which gives the reader invaluable insight into the mind and soul of the artist. It was launched on the artist's 77th birthday in February 2010. Bill's impressive curriculum vitae includes details of his numerous solo and group exhibitions, prizes, public and private commissions, and of the public collections that include works of his, including the Iziko National Gallery in Cape Town. Major influences in Bill's training were Professor Lippy Lipschitz, Russell Harvey, May Hillhouse and Katrina Harries at the Michaelis School of Fine Art of the University of Cape Town, and Professor P Esser at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. Cecil Higgs was a great friend and mentor who convinced Bill in 1971 that he must leave teaching and work full-time as a sculptor. The book provides fascinating insights into the institutions in which he studied and the artistic milieu in South Africa. In 2008, when Bill was recovering from lymphoma and months of debilitating treatment, Jane Raphaely commissioned a portrait bust of Nelson Mandela for the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, which now graces the entrance foyer of the Foundation's headquarters in St George's Mall in Cape Town. Bill continues his work in his studio in Vermont near Hermanus in the Western Cape. When the writing was nearing completion Jan Mostert joined the team. His expertise in design and his part in choosing the illustrative material have made a significant contribution to the beauty of the production, as do David Richardson's excellent photographs. The book includes a catalogue of Bill's works from 1952 to 2009, and is fully indexed.

About the Author :
Christopher Gregorowski, author of the children's classic Fly, Eagle, Fly! took over the writing of this book from Bill's late wife, art critic Ellen Davis-Mesman, when she died of cancer in 2005. She is the author of The Colourful Palette of Alfred Krenz, published in 1998. She began to collect press cuttings, exhibition catalogues and photographs from the time she and Bill met and married in the 1950's. She had written a first draft of Bill's life story by the time she became terminally ill, and Christopher Gregorowski took over the task. He expanded the biography, asked Bill to write the manifesto, and added a chapter in tribute to Ellen. Her story begins in wartime Amsterdam, where they met and married when Bill was studying sculpture at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten Her significant contribution to Bill's artistic career, her role as wife and mother and her career as an art critic are given due emphasis throughout the book.