Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia presents Beyond the Bulldog. Jack Davis, an exhibition on view from Nov. 3, 2012, to Jan. 6, 2013.
Jack Davis Five figures of Elvis playing his guitar
Organized by guest curator Patrick Dean, a cartoonist himself, who sits on the board of the Jack Davis Foundation, the exhibition goes deeper into Davis’ career than the sports and caricature work for which he is best known, focusing on his black-and-white drawings in particular. This exhibition is also part of UGA’s Spotlight on the Arts festival, to be held Nov. 3–11.
Perhaps best known in Georgia for his depictions of Southeastern Conference mascots tussling, Jack Burton Davis Jr. (b. 1924) has had a lengthy career in illustration and cartooning, with an immediately recognizable style and an influence that extends far beyond his home state. Having published his first cartoon at the age of 12, Davis studied with the artist Lamar Dodd in the University of Georgia’s art school, which he attended on the G.I. Bill, and honed his skills drawing for the Red and Black (the student newspaper) and Bullsheet, an Athens humor publication. After graduating, he moved to New York, where he attended the Art Students League before landing work with William Gaines at EC Comics.
Famed in particular for his speed and a tendency to create images overflowing with colorful characters, he was one of the founding artists of Mad magazine, supplied covers for Time and TV Guide and designed album art and movie posters aplenty. Davis created his first art for UGA’s athletics program in 1948, when he drew Coach Wally Butts for the front and back of that year’s media guide, and the relationship has lasted ever since.
For more information, including hours, see http://www.georgiamuseum.org or call 706.542.GMOA (4662).