Role
Anglican Chaplian, Student Support; Visiting Fellow, Visual Arts
Research areas
Richard Davey's research focuses on the way in which faith, as a distinctive and counter-cultural world-view, is embodied and materialised within works of art. This has led to an interest in themes such as wonder, mystery, liminality, the sublime, beauty, colour, and sacred spaces and landscapes, and their rediscovery as vehicle of spiritual encounter, and valid academic discussion. As a writer Richard seeks to use the 'art text' as a space of research and proposition, in which ideas and knowledge are primarily shaped and gained by direct engagement with the visual image rather than secondary, or historical knowledge.
This reflects his interest in the validity of a sensory and intuitive epistemology. He is also concerned with the process and function of writing on art, in particular the way in which a practice of poetics rather than prose can provide a valid research tool, and also in the act of mutual engagement and response that can take place between text and image, and the new worlds of knowledge that can emerge from this encounter.
Visual Arts
External activity
- 2006, Steering Group Member, Forum for Art and Religion
- 2004, Chair of Board, Southwell Artspace
- 2001-2006, Board Member, Culture East Midlands
Publications
DAVEY, R., 2011. Adrian Wiszniewski: A New Heaven and a New Earth, In Image-Art-Faith-Mystery, No.72, Winter 2011-12
DAVEY, R., 2012. Tess Jaray: Thresholds, London: Royal Academy of Art Publications
DAVEY, R., 2013. Spinning: Nature, Culture and the Spiritual in the work of John Newling, Nottingham: Nottingham Contemporary
DAVEY, R., 2013. Tess Jaray, Moving Through Space, In Tess Jaray, Paintings, London: Ridinghouse
LANCASTER, J. and DAVEY, R., (curators) 2011. Figuring Light 2: Colour: Shifting boundaries, Creative Hinckley Gallery, Leicestershire, 21 March-24 April 2011, Leicester: Printank, pp.34, ISBN 978-1-857214-10-9
DAVEY, R., 2010. James Hugonin. Edinburgh: Ingelby Gallery, pp.68, ISBN 978-0-9566692-0-9
DAVEY, R., (curator) 2008. Figuring Light: Colour and the Intangible, Djanogly Gallery, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park, Nottingham, 14 November 2008 - 18 January 2009, Nottingham: Pyramid Press, pp.3-52, ISBN 978-1-900809-56-6
DAVEY, R., 2008. Oliver Barratt-Poetry of the Void. In Image-Art-Faith-Mystery, No.57, Spring 2008, pp. 76-83, ISSN 1087-3503