Bradford Davis
Artist Statement:
In these two sculptures, Many Hands and A Forgotten Poem, the gabion functions as both structure and metaphor. Traditionally used in modern warfare as a rapidly deployable fortification—an evolved version of the foxhole—the gabion is designed to protect, stabilize, and hold ground. In this work, that language of defense is recontextualized through care, community, and collective presence.
Rather than being filled with earth or stone, each gabion is packed with ceramic shards contributed by artists within my community. These fragments—once whole, now broken—carry with them the histories of individual makers, studios, and processes. In aggregate, they form a new kind of foundation: one built not from uniform material, but from shared experience and mutual support.
For me, the gabion becomes a container of gratitude. It stands as a physical acknowledgment that my practice does not exist in isolation, but is held up by the generosity, influence, and labor of others. Each shard represents a hand—many hands—that have shaped, challenged, and sustained my work over time.
In A Forgotten Poem, this structure also holds a quieter tension. The reminder of a poem’s intention for what is held, what is welcomed, and what is rejected. Together, these works explore how support systems are constructed, how they endure, and how meaning is carried forward through both fragmentation and collective strength.
Learn more on Bradford’s website