American painter and sculptor. De Forest was born in Nebraska, but grew up in Nebraska, Colorado and Washington. He received his bachelor’s and master's at San Francisco State University, and was a professor of art at the University of California. Davis was active in Port Costa, CA, and was instrumental in starting the Funk art and Nut art movements in Northern Californian art which drew from Dadaist principles. His works have been exhibited across the U.S. from San Francisco to New York.