Hands up, I had never heard of Noah Davis. The American painter, born in Seattle in 1983, was however, already well known before his early death from cancer in 2015, aged just 32. If you haven't heard of him either, don't let that put you off. You have the added treat of discovering a new favourite in this glorious show at the Barbican.
The canvases on display are full of life - the mundane, ordinary lives of Black people in America in the first decade and a half of the 21st century. Davis' aim (told in a warm and moving interview) was to make the 'normal' extraordinary. With wonderful understated self-awareness, he says that he can 'use a painting to mean something', and the results are here for all to see. There is magic in the blurred canvases, the portraits of friends, the mystical attributes he gives to some of his subjects. He has important things to say but there is nothing flashy or gimmicky about his work.
He wanted to change things, perceptions of art, access to it. He and his wife set up a gallery, The Underground Museum, to bring culture to an area where there was little. It opened shortly before his death. No museums would loan to it, so Davis made do, re-purposing the gallery's strip lights, a pile of cement sand, a $70 vacuum cleaner as contemporary sculptures. A room is devoted to the pieces here - kids will love the cheek of it. Also don't miss the short video of William Kentridge's 2003 film, Journey to the Moon, that was the only original artist's exhibition held at the museum before his death. Surreal, quirky and moving, it tells you something about Davis that he loved it.
In fact, more than in most shows, partly a tribute to the curating team (including excellent descriptions of the artworks), perhaps partly a testament to Davis himself, the artist's personality and spirit leap out from the Barbican's solid concrete walls. What a man, what a loss, but what a legacy!
It is not a family show per se but is exactly the type of show that would make a great family outing. Lots to discuss - civil rights, art history, stereotypes, inequality, the power of books - and, even if you don't discuss anything, they are beautiful paintings. Go.
Noah Davis Barbican Art Gallery, 6 February–11 May. Tickets: £18 adults, £5 ages 14–25, U14s free.
Emily Turner, 10 February 2025
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