Artwork copyright David Joyce. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2020.

Artwork copyright David Joyce. Photo courtesy of the artist, 1986.

Moving In for a Closeup, 1979

David Joyce
Canadian (born 1946, died 2003)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

David Joyce's Moving In for a Closeup is one of his first pieces working with life-sized photography. It features cut-outs that combine elements of photography and sculpture. Six images of the artist's daughter at age two-and-a-half are printed in increasing scale to create a sense of depth, movement, and shifts in scale. It is designed to be shown on the floor with the viewer looking down on the artwork.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.

About the Artist

Artist David Joyce (1946-2003) created sculptures made from enlarged photographic cutouts. These artworks depict realistic, life-size figures that are flat and monochromatic. His compositions highlight the boundary between the real and the abstract. Joyce studied at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree. He taught at Lane Community College in Eugene for twenty five years.