Tess Davies
Hand Me My Griefcase II
From the Artist
“Hand Me My Griefcase II uses dark colors and scattered patterns and imagery to portray a sense of contained chaos. Taking inspiration from cancer cells and natural symbols, this piece is about layers and movement. The dripping black strokes serve as symbolic Band-Aids atop of an emotionally charged piece.”
About the Artwork
Hand Me My Griefcase II was originally created using acrylic and marker on canvas. This Archival Pigment Print features a reproduction of the square painting, capturing every detail down to the canvas texture.
Curatorial Opinion
In Tess Davies’ work, Hand Me My Griefcase II, the artist uses a somber palette of deep grays, pale yellows, and shades of black to convey loss, and the complex experience of grief. The word “Griefcase” is the artist’s own clever compound word, signifying the weight of grief, and how we can feel bound to carry it with us wherever we go. In this composition, the background and foreground fade in and out of each other, blurring the timeline of the paint application. One white flower strains upward toward a light source, while dripping down to the nearest border of inky black. Small black flecks emerge from a white element like the arrival of a swarm of bees, shocking the system and reminding us that maneuvering sadness and loss is never a clear or straight path.
About the Artist
Tess Davies (b.1992, Nashville, TN) makes paintings inspired by natural phenomena. Using forms both abstract and representational, Davies echoes the continuous movement and growth of biological systems.
Read MoreAbout the Process
Haystack collaborates with traditional printmakers and digital printers to ensure each artist’s print reflects the most important aspects of their studio practice. Hand Me My Griefcase II was printed by G.Moulin Limited Editions. Each Archival Pigment Print was digitally printed with a lab-calibrated inkjet printer using pigment-based inks (this process is also known as Giclée printing). The 100% cotton paper has a smooth texture and the purest natural white tone available, allowing for every visual subtlety and tonal transition in the artwork to be reproduced at the highest quality.
