Artwork copyright Debra Davis. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2016.

Geographica, 1997

Debra Davis
American (born 1960)

Location: Tonasket High School, Tonasket

About the Artwork

Geographica is a fantastical landscape painting with collaged elements by artist Debra Davis. The imagery combines allegorical figures, map motifs, and animal icons. Davis states that this piece explores how we envision the world. She notes: "in our minds we can draw straight lines on the land, but when we look, we see curves and 3-D shapes. That tension is something I wonder about."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Tonasket School District.

About the Artist

Northwest artist and naturalist Debra Davis creates paintings and sculptures that are strongly influenced by her summer job as a seasonal forestry technician with the U.S. Forest Service. A longtime resident of Central Washington, Davis received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Central Washington University in Ellensburg and taught art at Yakima Valley College.