Vanishing Avians - Drawings and Monotypes by Suzi Davidoff

October 23 - November 30, 2020

Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking invites you to Vanishing Avians, an exhibition of new drawings and monotypes by Suzi Davidoff.  The exhibition opens on October 24th with a special small group reception and ZOOM interview on November 14th.

Davidoff, a native of El Paso, Texas, is widely known for her lush drawings and prints that explore the almost mystical presence of flora and fauna.  Her recent work has turned toward endangered birdlife.  During the pandemic months, her monoprints created at Flatbed began to be filled with silhouettes of the endangered birds that she studied. The resulting work is layered and nuanced with the avian shapes that are both present and disappearing.  At her home studio, Suzi spent her time referencing sketches, notes, and collected plants to create large scale drawings recalling her frequent walks in the Chihuahuan desert near Marfa, Texas.  Suzi writes in her field notes: “This group of works is part of an ongoing exploration and conversation about human-wrought changes in the ecosystem, specifically the vanishing riparian habitat of the Southwest and the birds affected by this loss of habitat. I have focused on four of the many species of birds that are disappearing:  Northern Aplomada Falcon, Southwest Willow Flycatcher, Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-capped Vireo.”  The exhibition features the Avian monotypes and a series of drawings based on Davidoff’s daily observations during a fourteen-day period of time taking the same walk each day in Madera Canyon in the mountains north of Big Bend.

Flatbed is open for gallery hours Wednesday through Friday 10 am - 5 pm and by appointment outside of gallery hours. Masks are required and we allow seven or fewer people in the gallery at one time.