Plymouth Rock

Moyra Davey is known for her photographic interpretations of seemingly banal and commonplace themes. With the series Plymouth Rock, Davey presents a set of black-and-white photographs taken during a visit to the country home of Dalie Giroux, a political theorist in La Pêche, Quebec, during the making of her film i confess (2019).

Read the interview with Emmy Lee Wall and Moyra Davey here.

In the series, Davey focuses her lens on fowl and equines; while providing little indication of her subjects’ context, a sense of immutability emerges from these works. Davey has referred to certain animals as standing “outside of history,” unburdened by the weight of human concerns. This series is indebted partly to a candid identification with the work of Peter Hujar (1934–87), known for his black-and-white portraits, including of animals. Situated at the Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain Station for their first public exhibition, the works provide an affecting and contemplative juxtaposition to the surrounding urban environment.

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