Michael Murphy

Katie - 2011
Hand cut Acrylic

My first thoughts of Michael's work are about the way they are constructed. Perspective is an important part of his work and I love how that plays into the overall meaning. The project that I am working on currently also has to do with perspective so I find it interesting to see how other artist handle it in their own work. The thing that I find myself getting hung up on is Michael's choose of medium. He uses a lot of manufactured materials like acrylic and to me it seems to add a coldness, a sense of detachment, to his portraits. I like the overall effect, but wonder at the significance.

Red Cross for Health Reform -2010
13' x13' x 8' - Hand cut birch, mono filament and steel

"Red Cross for Health Car Reform" is a piece that I think successfully incorporated the materials used into the overall theme of the work. Michael used both birch, mono filament and steel. I really love the visual impact of this piece and the way it captures your attention. A good portion of his work seems to be political in nature.

Osama Bin Laden -2011
24'' x 32" x 8" - High tension wire, wood and enamel

An important part of this class is leaning to "read" art. I have learned a lot from the critiques we have done in class and I attribute them to a deeper understanding and appreciation of art. Something that has been on my mind lately has been the mediums that contemporary artist use in their work. When reading art we contemplate every aspect of the piece and often the mediums used, play a critical role in the overall impact. So what if the materials used, don't have meaning? What if we see that an artist uses Popsicle sticks in their work and we infer a connection because of it, but in reality the Popsicle sticks were just a cheep and effective way to convey the overall shape? Why do we just assume that the medium always holds meaning? We may be giving the artist more credit than they deserve or infer a meaning quite different then intended. I don't know the answer but, I do know that from now on, in my own work, I'll always make sure to create with intent.

Twist - 2012
22" x 10" x 10" - Craft sticks and urethane