Local artist Henry Davis unveils his photographic portrait series exploring the interplay between identity and relationship dynamics, set to the music of Neil Diamond
Davis’s Exhibition: ‘Sweet Caroline (1969)’ is at The Burnham Museum, Coronation Road, Burnham-on-Crouch CM0 8AH from 17 – 20 November 2022.
Open Daily between 1pm – 7pm.
‘SWEET CAROLINE (1969)’ – Six portraits exploring identity and relationship dynamics.
The series of portraits shot by the photographer Alan Powdrill shows Henry Davis enacting different female characters, each one accompanied and named after a specific Neil Diamond song.
Davis uses many mediums in his practice including performance and film and in his first Burnham exhibition in February this year, ‘Dead Reckoning’ he showed sculptures that were inspired by Cardinal Buoys used as navigation markers for sailors. Davis, a keen sailor himself, relocated to Burnham-on-Crouch from London in 2021 and set up his studio in the picturesque estuary town.
Always looking to work with other creatives, for his second show in Burnham he teamed up with the London based photographer Alan Powdrill in this new body of work entitled ‘Sweet Caroline 1969’. Davis, who identifies as a gay man, is not drawn to drag but wanted to explore the sometimes-complex female friendships he has experienced over the years.
Although frozen by the medium of photography, he considers these portraits to be live performances – acting out some of the co-dependant friendships he has had with women that have often left both parties confused and hurt.
Davis has used the tracks of Neil Diamond in past performances to try to communicate the abject – the complex, the inexpressible, the repressed – so it made sense to him to use them once again.
Join Henry Davis at his exhibition ‘Sweet Caroline (1969)’ and look and listen to each of his dramatic creations. Headphones are provided alongside the art works to give visitors a sensory experience as they regard each of the artists’ inventions. Davis will be available throughout the show.
