Elissa Davis: Fractured Views

APRIL 22 - MAY 13 • OPENING RECEPTION SATURDAY APRIL 22 FROM 6 TO 8 PM • GALLERY TALKS AT 7

Elissa Davis has had a long history in photography, taking her camera with her on nature trails for most of her life. Her interest in collaging started in her sixth grade art class. Most students in the class chose to create two-colored ying-yang symbols or other simple graphics with small, cut pieces of magazine clippings. Elissa chose a soccer ball on a field of grass, cutting individual blades of grass for a more realistic effect. She came back to this technique after a particularly inspiring trip to Italy in her last full year of college. Using images she captured while on that trip, she re-created them with the same detailed collage technique, precisely matching even shades of colors in her photos with small magazine shards. She has created many of these miniature fractured images, from a wide variety of locations and themes based on her photography since then. More locally, many people will recognize locations on Lake Chautauqua.

Active in community theater, civic orchestra, City Council and other various organizations, she uses what leisure time she has remaining to capture more images with her camera and turn some of them into these small yet complex and textural works.

"Gentle Grass" 3.5x4

"Chautauqua Belle" 2x3

"Bell Tower At Night" 3x2.5