►
Description
From Melinda Moulton:
Cameron (Cami) Davis (b. 1954 Bridgeport, CT.) is a former Senior Lecturer and teaches Painting, Drawing, Perspectives on Making, and Environmental Art. She received her M.F.A. in Painting from Pratt Institute in 1981 and B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Vermont, in 1976; with postgraduate studies in ecological theory from Schumacher College, Devon, UK in 1998 and 2015. Davis has attended artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center and Banff Centre for the Arts, Alberta, Canada, and has exhibited throughout Vermont, New York, and San Diego. She is in private and public collections nationally.
Davis is the recipient of the Lee Krasner – Jackson Pollock Foundation grant for painting, and Argosy Foundation and Puffin Foundation grants for painting in collaboration with composer Sam Guarnaccia. She considers her paintings, installations and community environmental art projects to be her primary vehicle for exploring issues of conscious perception as fundamental to navigating life in a warming and warring world. Her community art activist projects have followed the climate change movement for the last decade. She is interested in exploring wholistic aesthetics as a contributing factor towards cultivating the transition to a life affirming future. Davis is a member of the ecoartnetwork.org.
4/27/2023
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A
A
A
Is
the
day,
but
we're
going
to
get
into
that,
because
there's
also
probably
a
little
bit
of
concern
in
your
mind
as
well,
which
we're
going
to
talk
about,
but
let
me
share
with
my
viewers
a
little
bit
about
your
illustrious
and
amazing
career.
Cami
Davis
has
attended
artist
residencies
at
the
Vermont
Studio
Center
and
Banff
Center
for
the
Arts
in
Alberto
Canada
and
is
exhibited
throughout
Vermont,
New,
York
and
San
Diego.
A
Her
work
is
in
private
and
public
collections
nationally.
She
is
the
recipient
of
the
Lee
krasner
Jackson
Pollock
Foundation
grant
for
painting,
as
well
as
grants
from
both
The
Argosy
and
Puffin
foundations
for
painting,
in
collaboration
with
composer
Sam
guarnaccia,
her
paintings
installations
and
community
art
projects
have
followed
the
climate
change
movement
for
the
last
decade.
She
is
interested
in
the
role
perception,
plays
and
understanding
the
human
nature
relationships
and
consider
Studio
practice
to
be
your
fundamental
means
to
navigate
life
in
a
warming.
A
B
Just
as
as
of
Tuesday
receiving
my
Emeritus
status,
I
have
retired
from
teaching
after
34
years,
at
with
the
Department
of
Art
and
art
history
at
UVM
and
I'm
thrilled
to
actually
have
Emeritus
status
to
continue
relationships
there,
but
yeah
I
have
moved
away.
I've
been
on
sabbatical
this
last
year,
so
may
last,
a
year
ago,
May
was
my
last
teaching,
which
is
huge,
huge
transition.
It.
A
Is
huge,
but
now
you
have
this
wonderful
world
to
go
out
and
do
your
great
work.
So,
let's
Cami,
let's
start
at
the
beginning,
I
was
born.
Yeah
I
know
seriously
I
I,
you
know
I
always
want
my
viewers
to
understand
the
people
that
I'm
that
I'm
talking
to
and
and
as
a
friend
I
would
love
it.
If
you
share
with
my
viewers
a
little
bit
about
growing
up,
where
did
you
grow
up
and
tell
us
a
little
bit
about
your
childhood?
Oh.
B
Wow
I
was
born
in
excuse
me,
I
was
born
in
Connecticut
and
when
I
was
five
years
old,
I
moved
to
Troy
New
York
I
was
my
father,
had
gone
to
RPI
and
had
an
opportunity
to.
He
was
a
anesthesiologist
and
had
a
opportunity
to
return
to
his
alma
mater
and,
and
he
was
thrilled.
My
mother
was
less
thrilled.
She
became
eventually
she
loved
Troy.
B
A
A
A
B
You
know
I
I
was
always
doing
kind
of
arts
and
crafts
kinds
of
things.
I
was
always
making
always
and
I
wouldn't
say:
I
was
the
art
star
say
in
elementary
school,
but
in
high
school
we
had
I
went
to
a
girls
school
and
we
had
something
equivalent
to
a
January
term
and
I
did
choose.
Painting
and
I
painted
a
mountain,
so
I
would
say
in
high
school
by
college.
B
I
was
really
torn
between
you
had
to
choose,
and
yet
I
sensed
I
knew
that
there
was
a
relationship,
but
I
had
to
choose
between
Environmental,
Studies
or
studio.
Art
and
I
ended
up
choosing
Studio
Art,
but
that
that
burned
my
side
of
going
wait.
A
minute,
I
Intuit
that
there's
a
relationship
here
and
trying
to
articulate
what
that
relationship
is,
was
a
really
great
Burr.
That
I
think
has
propelled
my
thought
process
around
my
studio
practice
to
this
day.
That's
always
evolving.
A
B
So
Debbie
prayer
started
with
noticing
the
apple
blossoms
in
my
neighborhood
and
and
my
concern
about
the
honeybee
collapse
and
there's
so
it
started
with
these
images
of
apple
blossoms,
but
it
and
then
there
actually,
you
can't
see
but
they're
little
diagrams
of
the
honeybee
waggle
dance,
also
on
the
painting.
They're
really
and
oh
it
took
three
years
to
make
this
painting
and
so
over
the
course
of
the
painting.
B
B
These
are
not
necessarily
things
that
I
am
actually
thinking
about
any
longer,
but
so
they
do
reflect
a
kind
of
all.
The
work
reflects
a
dialogue
between
inside
and
outside
perception
that
there's
the
phenomenon
of
those
blossoms.
What
they
look
like
the
representational
part
of
that,
but
they're
also
there's
this
invisible
realm,
or
this
felt
realm.
The
subjectivity
and
I'm
always
kind
of
thinking
about
the
integration
really
of
objectivity
and
subjectivity.
As
as
being
what
is
whole.
A
B
Again,
mountains
were
really
big
in
my
life
in
terms
of
skiing,
in
terms
of
hiking
I
worked
with
the
Appalachian
Mountain
Club
in
the
White
Mountains
of
New
Hampshire.
You
know,
I
chose
to
go
to
artist
residency
in
the
Canadian
Rockies
in
in
Banff,
and
I
would
say
that
the
work
has
always
been
curious
about
a
sensed
presence
in
nature,
and
so
it
it
took
this
Arc
really
of
Notions
of
the
sublime
in
nature,
something
greater
larger
than
us
even
Terror.
You
know
these
kind
of
characteristics
of
the
sublime.
B
The
work
very
quickly
became.
What's
called
non-objective.
It
was
very
geometric
but
I'm
thinking
about
the
presence
and
they
they
were
big
canvases.
They
had
burnished
metal
and
paint
and
oil
paint
and
trying
to
get
that
sort
of
metallic
Fleck
of
the
Rocks
above
Timberline
and
and
so
I
I
was
interested
in
those
states
of
awe
in
the
studio
practice.
B
What
happened
in
1998
is
I,
went
and
studied
at
Schumacher
college
with
James
Hillman,
the
union
psychologist
and
the
the
title
of
that
course
was
inside
outside
perception,
psychology,
ecology
and
art,
and
it
was
it
was
as
if
I
opened.
My
eyes,
for
the
first
time
after
25
years
of
painting
again,
what's
called
non-objectively
there
weren't
any
pictures
of
anything,
that's
recognizable
and
I'm
still
I
was
still
trying
to
incorporate
internal
felt
form
of
my
sense
of
this
presence.
B
This
ever
kind
of
abiding
presence,
while
also
beginning
to
include
recognizable,
imagery
and
and
I'm
still
in
that
place
that
started
so
after
again,
after
painting
for
25
years,
one
way
I
shifted.
It
was
such
a
profound
course
at
Schumacher,
and
ever
since
I've
been
playing
with
that
dialogue
between
what's
recognizable.
What's
not
and
I've,
come
to
additional
ways
of
thinking
about
the
process
itself.
Improvisation
itself
as
reflecting
the
way
life,
Works,
Nora
Bates
and
the
daughter
of
Gregory
Bateson
talks
about
in
nature
and
in
art.
B
What
you
have
are
these
multiple
levels
of
communication
that
happens
simultaneously,
so
that's
similar
to
when
I
was
saying.
That
idea
is
so
you
have
Concepts,
you
have
associations,
you
have
felt
form
you
have
in
the
moment,
responses
embodied
responses,
you
can
feel
rhythms
and,
and
all
of
these
multiple
levels
happen
at
the
same
time,
and
so
the
process
itself
of
improvisation
to
me
is
the
process
of
life.
It's
it's
the
same,
even
if
there
wasn't
recognizable
imagery.
B
I,
don't
I
don't
know
about
that
as
in
terms
of
Define,
but
I
would
say
that
I
wouldn't
I
would
actually
kind
of
reverse
it
in
a
sense
of
that
we
are
situated
within
life
because
we
have
co-evolved
with
the
rest
of
life
and
and
those
Notions
of
when
I
look
at
the
stars.
I'm
on
my
I
am
the
universe
reflecting
on
the
universe.
We're
not
the
only
species
apparently
crows
do
that,
and
there
are
other
species
that
have
this
self-reflective
capacity.
B
B
B
Yeah
I
mean
the
bower
bird.
Do
you
know
about
the
bower
bird
who
does
loves
to
make
homes
out
of
blue
things?
It
finds
it'll,
find
plastic.
Trash
it'll
find
blue
flowers.
It'll
make
these
incredible
Creations
and,
of
course
we
can
explain
that
away.
Oh,
it's
just
you
know
like
the
peacock
trying
to
attract
a
mate,
but
the
amount
of
creativity
that
goes
into
that
is
extraordinary
and
you
can't
help
but
think
that
there's
there's
also
appreciation
for
those
Architects.
You
know
I.
A
No,
we
we
are,
we
have.
We
have
so
much
to
learn
as
human
beings
from
around
us
and
that's
why
your
art
is
so
powerful
and
important
Tammy.
So,
as
an
artist
and
you
may
have
touched
on
this,
you
have
taken
your
creative
works
and
merge
the
visual
with
your
voice.
Your
paintings
are
just
one
part
of
your
creative
Works
talk
to
us
about
your
exhibitions
that
have
focused
so
profoundly
on
the
fate
of
our
species
on
this
planet,
because
you,
your
work,
has
a
voice.
A
B
These
themes
or
concepts
of
relationships
between
groups
of
artists
and
that
in
itself
is,
as
I
say,
both
creative
but
also
has
a
voice.
The
curation
I
am
interested
in
the
ideas
that
can
then
happen.
I
am
interested
when
you
get
to
talk
about
work
and
particularly
panels
of
artists
whose
ideas
are
I
mean.
B
So
there
were
paintings,
but
there
were
also
these
jars,
which
took
water
samples
and
plant
samples
and
macroinvertebrates
from
all
the
tributaries,
not
all
a
number
of
tributaries
in
Lake,
Champlain
and
then
Lake,
Champlain
and
etched
on.
Those
jars
were
the
invasive
species
that
are
starting
to
affect
the
health
of
Lake
Champlain.
B
B
My
more
recent
exhibition,
poetic
ecologies
is,
is
less
overt,
but
still
a
voice
in
the
sense
of
this
perceptual
sense
of
understanding.
Where
does
the
subjectivity,
where
you
know
that
subjectivity
is
also
needing
to
be
at
the
table
that
it's
not
just
our
practical
Solutions
to
create
a
flourishing
world?
But
we
know
that
the
facts
alone
have
not
been
enough,
and
it's
really
it's
really
an
evolution
of
love,
love
for
each
other
and
love
for
our
this
home
Earth.
B
That
I
I
think
is
going
to
bring
us
together.
I
mean
give
us
any
possibility
of
being
able
to
go
forward,
so
I've
been
grappling
with.
Is
it
okay
to
be
that
heart
centered
in
the
work,
without
it
being
as
overtly
activist
but
I?
Think
that's
that's
where
a
lot
of
the
energy
is
right
now
is
finding
Frameworks
readings
on
on
ecology
and
thought
that
support
that
and
they're
different
entries
into
that
one.
A
A
So
let's
engage
you
in
discussing
the
Earth
Charter
talk
to
us
about
that
and
share
with
us,
the
Arc
of
Hope
project,
which
you,
which
you
collaborated
with
many
many
people,
one
in
particular
who's
who
we
both
love
so
dearly
is
Sally
Linder,
yes,
I,
remember
the
culmination
event
at
Shelburne
Farms,
where
Jane
Goodall
spoke
and
several
thousand
people
came
out.
Yes,
talk
to
us
a
little
bit
about
that
project,
because
that
was
extraordinary,
and
here
you
are
two.
A
B
In
1992,
the
Earth
Charter
tried
to
get
in
or
tried
to
get
created
at
the
Rio
Earth
Summit.
We
it
didn't
happen
so
then,
actually,
a
a
good
and
interesting
project
happened,
which
was
that
it
that
it
then
what
became
more
Grassroots.
So,
instead
of
being
top-down
U.N,
it
became
so
many
many
people
at
the
lead
of
Stephen
Rockefeller,
who
was
the
chair
of
the
drafting
committee.
B
A
B
And
we
went
to,
we
went
to
50
schools
and
we
went
to
sustainability
conferences
and
we
went
to
businesses
and
we
introduced
them
to
this
remarkable
document
and
and
then
we
had
them
make
images.
Some
people
made
whole
books.
Other
people
just
made
a
page
that
would
then
go
into
artists
made
books
and
then
Sally's
concept
was
to
then
put
them
into
this
Arc
of
Hope
and
again
to
go
down
to
the
U.N.
B
So
all
that
was
a
build
up
to
the
2001
is
when
the
event
at
the
breeding
Barn
at
Shelburne,
Farms
happened,
and
it
was
for
love
of
Earth.
A
celebration
of
the
earth.
Charter
and
I
I
also
want
to
credit
Sally
with
that
title,
because
you
know
there
were
all
these
different
again
more
practical
or
the
language
of
sustainability,
and
we
just
look
at
each
other
and
it's
like
yeah,
but
it's
for
love.
You
know
well.
A
B
B
We
were
LED
in
a
meditation
by
Buddhist,
ecologist,
Stephanie
Casa
and
all
the
participants
made
an
image
that
then
got
put
into
the
ark.
The
intent
was.
The
ark
would
then
go
to
the
U.N
when
the
Earth
Charter
was
supposed
to
come
up
for
endorsement,
so
this
was
September
9th
2001..
So
we
all
know
what
happened
on
September
11th.
B
So
what
happened
was
I
was
in
class,
but
Sally
was
there
with
a
number
of
artists
cleaning
up
from
this
event,
when
the
news
of
911
happened-
and
we
had
just
come
on
this
silent,
very
short-
walk
from
the
parking
lot
to
this
event
with
Satish
Kumar,
because
he
was
the
world
Walker
for
peace
decades
ago,
and
she
knew
in
that
moment
that
it
was
time
to
walk
the
ark,
and
so
it
got
walked
up
to
Burlington.
And
then
there
was
a
little
cart
that
got
made
under
it.
A
A
Magnificent
project
yeah
so
we're
coming
sort
of
to
the
end
of
our
of
our
of
our
interview,
but
I
have
a
couple
other
questions
that
I
wanted
to
ask
you
as
someone
who
Endeavors
to
make
sense
of
our
world.
Can
you
help
us
to
make
sense
of
it
under
the
present
circumstances
of
global
warming,
reproductive
Justice,
the
human
and
natural
conditions
and
all
of
the
other
issues
that
are
facing
Humanity.
B
B
Whatever
we
are
able
to
align,
align
ourselves
so
that
I
love
using
Janine
benius,
align
ourselves
with
conditions
conducive
to
life
and
there's
a
lot
of
listening.
That
has
to
happen
for
that
alignment,
and
the
painting
helps
me
to
listen,
and
this
work
that
I'm
doing
with
the
oratorio
project
that
I've
returned
to
that
first
began
in
2013,
where
I
did
paintings
at
this
scale,
14
paintings
to
go
along
with
the
emergent
Universe
oratorio.
B
We
spent
the
pandemic,
rewriting
that
libretto
there's
seven
major
coral
pieces,
and
then
they
spoke
in
words
in
between
to
more
accurately
to
our
understanding
reflecting
these
times,
both
the
social
and
ecological
unraveling
and
much
of
which
needs
to
unravel.
To
then
re-weave
whatever
will
flourish.
B
How
do
we
live
with
not
knowing
exactly
what's
going
to
flourish?
What's
going
to
emerge?
It's
the
nature
of
existence
is
complexity
and
emergence,
but
I
feel
like
if
we
stack
the
deck
with
as
many
behaviors
that
are
in
alignment
with
conditions
conducive
to
life,
that
even
what
unknowns
emerge
are
more
likely
to
to
help
us
all
flourish.
B
The
emergent,
no,
not
emergent,
sorry,
experimental
media
and
Performing
Arts
Center
at
RPI,
and
what's
additional
with
this
project
is
we
also
will
have
a
day-long,
symposium
or
other
speakers
building
up
to
the
performance
and
what
I'm
working
on
and
I'm
working
with
a
animator
will
Tipper,
who
is
Vermont,
born
and
raised,
but
brooklyn-based
animator
and
using
assets
or
the
details
of
the
paintings
in
a
in
an
80-minute
animation.
That'll,
be
part
that'll
be
projected
the
whole
time
of
the
the
oratorio
that.
A
Is
so
exciting
and
that
certainly
something
that
I
would
I
would
so
love
to
attend
and
be
there
for
them,
so
opposing
Cami?
What
words
of
wisdom
can
you
offer
our
young
people
today
about
how
they
can
maneuver
in
the
21st
century
and
how
they
can
have
influence
to
help
guide
them
in
their
own
futures?.
A
B
A
We
can
use
that
in
some
ways
for
good,
well,
listen,
Cami,
Davis,
extraordinary
time,
half
an
hour
with
you,
I
could
talk
to
you
for
for
days
and
I
want
to
thank
you
for
everything,
you've
done
and
everything
you're
doing
and
for
your
leadership
in
the
art
world
and
the
environmental
Consciousness
which
you're
bringing
into
all
of
our
hearts
through
your
art
and
through
your
lectures
and
your
work.
So
thank
you
for
that
and
thank
you
and
to
my
viewers.