Moyra Davey
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Moyra Davey
Moyra Davey is a Canadian artist who has made significant contributions to the fields of photography, film, video art, writing, and publishing. Her work is known for its intimate and autobiographical nature, often focusing on everyday moments and relationships. Davey's artistic practice is characterized by a deep engagement with the materiality of her chosen mediums, often exploring the physical properties of film, paper, and books. One of Davey's most significant bodies of work is her ongoing Copperheads series, which consists of photographs of pennies that have been flattened by passing trains. These images are both formally striking and conceptually rich, exploring themes of chance, transformation, and the passage of time. Davey has also created a number of video works, including Les Goddesses (2011), a meditation on the lives of her five sisters and the legacy of their mother, who was a well-known psychoanalyst. In addition to her artistic practice, Davey is also an accomplished writer and publisher. She has contributed essays and reviews to numerous art publications, and has published several books of her own, including The Problem of Reading (2003) and Index Cards (2014). Davey's interest in publishing extends beyond her own work, and she has curated exhibitions and edited publications by other artists. Overall, Moyra Davey is a highly regarded artist whose work is characterized by its intimate focus on everyday life, its engagement with the materiality of her chosen mediums, and its exploration of themes of chance, transformation, and time.
Moyra Davey, Canadian artist, photography, film, video art, writing, publishing, autobiographical, Copperheads series, flattened pennies, Les Goddesses, psychoanalyst, essays, reviews, The Problem of Reading, Index Cards, curation, materiality, chance, tr
CITATION : "Charles King. 'Moyra Davey.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/define/moyra-davey?E=252759 (Accessed on October 14, 2026)"
Moyra Davey
Moyra Davey is a Canadian visual artist whose practice ranges from photography, film and video art, to writing and publishing. She has been active since the early 1990s, and has exhibited widely in the US, Canada and Europe. Her work typically focuses on intimate, everyday moments and relationships, often using autobiographical sources. She is particularly noted for her 'Reader's Project', a series of intimate photographs of books in their native environment. Davey is also known for her work in publishing, curating, and writing contributions to art journals and catalogues. Among her important works are 'Braedon', 'Limestone', 'The Trap' and 'Ruby Mountain'.
Creative photography, visual art, film, video, journal writing, publishing, curating, Canada, US, Europe, autobiographical, intimacy, everyday life.
— Mei Wang
Moyra Davey on Design+Encyclopedia
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