Matthew Murphy
American painter Matthew Murphy spent most of last year working in his home studio in Boston, United States, where paintings happen alongside drawings, collages and wooden constructions.
When asked about what impact the pandemic has had on him, Matthew says:
The pandemic has upturned old routines. Some for good, some for worse. I feel lucky to be well and working. So many people are out of work and struggling, so I feel blessed and I do my best to not to waste that luck.
Matthew keeps busy, despite the circumstances, and is currently working on a large painted canvas, typical of his practice:
The primary piece I’m working on at the moment is iterative, with a lot of repetitive shapes. Each shape is under the influence of another. If one shape changes, the whole gesture changes. It’s not just a painting, actually - it’s an experimental process that incorporates collage with carved wood.
And if you would have been been able to go to Carraig-na-gCat as planned?
Hmm… I imagine I would have worked on a series of drawings and collages, which I would have brought back home with me, to use as a base for paintings in my studio.
A residency would have afforded me the continuity of time to follow through on ideas that otherwise would only be granted peripheral attention. I think the residency would definitely have helped me feel more centred and more focused.
