An Artist’s Life by Carlton Davis

An Artist’s Life

Carlton Davis

Art Dock (2024)

979-8991174800

Reviewed by Jordan Waterwash for Reader Views (09/2025)

https://readerviews.com/reviews/an-artists-life-davis-3/

5/5

Many know artists live life on the cutting edge, but few understand what that existence can do to a person. An Artist’s Life by Carlton Davis introduces readers to what it means to be an artist in our world today, and how that life can lead to danger, excitement, and deep despair. At the end of day, though, we learn through Davis’s eyes that living as an artist can open so many doors one might not have thought possible.

The book starts in the year 1970 and ends in 2024. We follow Davis through his life as he recounts his days as a professor of architecture, a husband and father, and a struggling artist with intense emotional distress. In his early years, Davis spends much of his life hoping to begin his journey as an artist, but finds himself stuck teaching and practicing architecture with his first wife, Johanna, in Wyoming. As his dissatisfaction with his profession grows, life with Johanna also becomes more tumultuous. Ultimately, soon after the birth of their daughter, Davis leaves Wyoming for California, where he truly begins his life as a starving artist.

Throughout the book, Davis weaves his own life with snippets of art history. We learn more about Davis through his passion for Warhol, van Gogh, Rembrandt, Picasso, Goya, Kahlo, and more—particularly through their self-portraits, which is the main focus of Davis’s own work. Along the way, Davis delves into his mental health struggles and how he relates to his predecessors through their respective struggles. We hear about Davis’s alter ego—a saucy woman named Carlotta—and how her presence in his life leads to both profound realizations about his personhood and deeply dangerous behavior.

Ultimately, the reader gets to experience the full spectrum of Davis’s life as he has lived it; we see some of his highest highs and his lowest lows. I found myself captivated by Davis’s fortitude and momentum as he pulled himself from the cliff’s edge time and time again. By the end, I felt really connected to Davis and his struggles. I believe anyone who enjoys memoir-esque reads will enjoy this book. Be aware: There are multiple mentions of drug use, sexual situations and abuse, and things of that nature throughout the book. However, if you are looking for a read that will teach you about what it means to be an artist in our society, you won’t be disappointed.