Archives Quote by Moyra Davey
““Dipping into the archive is always an interesting, if sometimes unsettling, proposition. It often begins with anxiety, with the fear that the thing you want won't surface. But ultimately the process is a little like tapping into the unconscious, and can bring with it the ambivalent gratification of rediscovering forgotten selves. Rather than making new pictures why can't I just recycle some of these old ones? Claim "found" photographs from among my boxes? And have this gesture signify "resistance to further production/consumption"? (96)””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Art and Memory, 2015
Explores the uneasy thrill of digging into archives, confronting anxiety about finding what is lost, and using found images as a form of resistance to continual creation.
In simple terms: Archive work is both unsettling and rewarding.
Key Takeaway
Use past material to challenge new production.
Themes
creativity
memory
resistance
Mood
reflective
curious
Type
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- gallery shows
- personal projects
- academic research
Key Concepts
archival research
psychology
artistic process
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “found” mean to you?
- When does recycling become innovation?
A Different Perspective
Risk of stagnation if over‑relying on past works.
