Visiting artist Catherine Murphy began her lecture Wednesday night by posing a series of rhetorical questions regarding abstraction and reality — in art, is one technique more prevalent than the other? Is it possible to separate the two? Do they even exist in the first place?
As she continued with her lecture, it became clear that while these questions are often fiercely debated within the art community, Murphy does not favor one form over another. She explained that it is an artist's job to use the energy flowing through all objects, both living and nonliving, to create something that can inspire in the viewer a connection to the world; the approach they take in this expression does not add more or less value to the piece. "After all," she asked, "what else do we search for in this world except to connect to it?"
Although her own paintings have been largely labeled as "realism," Murphy's aim has been to make paintings separate from style. While she concedes that universal objectivity is in itself an oxymoron, she admits that this has not dissuaded her from continuing to strive for its achievement—above all, her desire is simply to paint life.
The lecture was structured around a slideshow featuring carefully selected paintings from her repertoire, presented chronologically so as to best represent the evolution of her work. While her paintings share a unifying theme centered around the beautiful and profound moments found in everyday life, the modes of expression and the selected images change with time.
For Murphy, this was a conscious decision; while her earlier paintings mainly illustrate moments of recognition, she later chose to allow a self-conscious element into her work. "Many artists don't include that side in their paintings," she said, "but I felt I wasn't allowing an important part of myself into my work." She has since remained committed to portraying an honest expression of her self—her experiences, perceptions, inclinations and fears—despite the vulnerability this entails.
Yet even within her darkest paintings, there resides an element of hope. "I want to create a language, a world you can see, and turn it into something like a poem," she told the audience. "A poem unveils slowly and can go in many different directions; one person's lie is another person's entire belief system." In this, it becomes easier to understand her faith in the redemptive power of art. "Paintings won't die because they don't move, so they need to be looked at for a long time," she asserted. "They reveal themselves slowly and reveal something different each time." Murphy's philosophy dictates that in reality (both the reality of the painting and of the present), nothing is ever hidden; some things are simply more difficult to find. And if everything coexists in the same frame, it follows that even the most seemingly painful or disturbing images contain beauty and promise. It is this belief that Murphy proscribes to; it is from here that her inspiration flows.
-- by Sarah Caney '09
As she continued with her lecture, it became clear that while these questions are often fiercely debated within the art community, Murphy does not favor one form over another. She explained that it is an artist's job to use the energy flowing through all objects, both living and nonliving, to create something that can inspire in the viewer a connection to the world; the approach they take in this expression does not add more or less value to the piece. "After all," she asked, "what else do we search for in this world except to connect to it?"
Although her own paintings have been largely labeled as "realism," Murphy's aim has been to make paintings separate from style. While she concedes that universal objectivity is in itself an oxymoron, she admits that this has not dissuaded her from continuing to strive for its achievement—above all, her desire is simply to paint life.
The lecture was structured around a slideshow featuring carefully selected paintings from her repertoire, presented chronologically so as to best represent the evolution of her work. While her paintings share a unifying theme centered around the beautiful and profound moments found in everyday life, the modes of expression and the selected images change with time.
For Murphy, this was a conscious decision; while her earlier paintings mainly illustrate moments of recognition, she later chose to allow a self-conscious element into her work. "Many artists don't include that side in their paintings," she said, "but I felt I wasn't allowing an important part of myself into my work." She has since remained committed to portraying an honest expression of her self—her experiences, perceptions, inclinations and fears—despite the vulnerability this entails.
Yet even within her darkest paintings, there resides an element of hope. "I want to create a language, a world you can see, and turn it into something like a poem," she told the audience. "A poem unveils slowly and can go in many different directions; one person's lie is another person's entire belief system." In this, it becomes easier to understand her faith in the redemptive power of art. "Paintings won't die because they don't move, so they need to be looked at for a long time," she asserted. "They reveal themselves slowly and reveal something different each time." Murphy's philosophy dictates that in reality (both the reality of the painting and of the present), nothing is ever hidden; some things are simply more difficult to find. And if everything coexists in the same frame, it follows that even the most seemingly painful or disturbing images contain beauty and promise. It is this belief that Murphy proscribes to; it is from here that her inspiration flows.
-- by Sarah Caney '09
