Ritual II

2000

Ritual II, 2000. Dexter Davis (American, b. 1965). Collage and monotype; image: 73.7 x 64.8 cm (29 x 25 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Joan Tomkins and William Busta 2020.434 In Ritual II, Dexter Davis combined collage with monotype, drawing with ink on the plate, printing, and then applying collage elements to the surface of the paper in a chine-collé method. In the center of the expressively fragmented composition is a masked-figure, a recurring part of Davis’ visual vocabulary culled from African art. A snake wraps around the central figure while pushing down another masked head below. While the overall effect suggests trauma or suffering, Davis’s title leaves open the potential for ritual solace and healing. The artist who made this print is also a security guard at the Cleveland Museum of Art.