SANTA CLARA – Vernon Davis gazed at my computer screen and said, “I see I hold a lot of anger on the side of my face.”
We were standing next to each other outside the 49ers locker room in the shade. I was holding my laptop in my left arm and we were looking at the self portrait he painted when he was a 22-year-old junior at the University of Maryland.
He put his finger on my screen, on the heavy, black brush strokes covering the left cheek and part of the forehead. “See, it’s dark on this side and light on the other side,” he said. “That’s a lot of emotion and anger and passion.”
In the painting, Davis’ expression is serene. His eyebrows are relaxed and he’s almost leaning back. His right fist is in the air – not in a hostile way, though. It looks like he’s holding an invisible paint brush. I never would have guessed the portrait was angry if he hadn’t told me.
“Did you choose to emphasize your anger when you painted this?” I asked.
He turned and looked at me. “No, I didn’t notice it until I analyzed the painting a few years ago. I don’t know where I’m going with any of my paintings until I’m done. I look at it, analyze it and critique myself. Then I notice what’s going on.”
I asked if he still had an angry side.
“No. I don’t have any anger in me at all. I learned how to channel those things. That’s just growing, becoming a young man and adapting to life.”
“Final question,” I said. “If you were going to do another self portrait right now, what would it look like?”
Davis stared at my screen and furrowed his brow, thinking hard. “It probably wouldn’t look like that. Everything would be clear, bright. Happiness. Peace, love and joy. Spirit of the free.”
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That’s a terrible painting….
you’re probably dumb
Your dumber…
Bay,
Your comment about Davis’ self portrait says many things about you.
Bay your critique of art is nearly as bad as your critique of football.
Lmao keeping it real bay. Lol
That is awesome. He’s an artist and a good man both on and off the field.
There are many layers to this complex persona wherein lies the Sacred Heart. Somewhere bleeding in the night.
When looking at the painting, it is actually saying quite a bit through the darkness and color. It is not a “terrible painting”! It has an Expressionist style to it. You can see the anger and somewhat being lost at the same time.
I hope VD has an outstanding game against the Bills. Go 9ers!
Love everything about Vernon Davis! Seems to be a great player and a great man even if he is not perfect! He knows that works hard and appears to have a humble side. Thank you Grant for this piece. My 7 year old and 18 year old both have his jersey!
I maybe the only person who reads your post and thinks this but my reaction was, “What an opportunity you had Grant. How fortunate to have a chance to see how an artist views his work after the passage of time.” I know this may not belong on a pro football website but how I would cherish the chance to stand beside Van Gogh as he reflected on “Starry Night”
It’s my understanding Vernon is very much into art and artists. Even considering (or currently doing) interior decorating (seriously) or something very similar when he retires. Doesn’t surprise me at all to see he’s done some pieces, himself. A well-rounded individual.
Think I would rather have my tightend young, hungry and mean!