After Nyne Writer's Profiles: Meeting Benjamin Murphy
- Sep 9, 2016
- 3 min read
Kicking off a new series, After Nyne are bringing to the forefront the writers who have helped establish After Nyne as one of the UK's leading arts publications.
First up is Benjamin Murphy, a writer and visual artist who creates darkly alluring artworks using the esoteric medium of electrical tape.
In 2014 he exhibited at the Houses of Parliament alongside Picasso, and at Whitfield fine art alongside Damien Hirst, Gilbert & George, Marc Quinn, and Cecily Brown.
In 2015 he also exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery in the Jealous 50×50 exhibition.
In January 2016, his seventh solo show Gilded Chaos opened at Beers Contemporary gallery in London. Subliminal Projects in LA hosted his next show Class Acts in February, followed by another solo show Vile Oblivion at Creat Gallery in Helsinki, Finland.
Benjamin, tell us a little about yourself and your background
My name is Benjamin Murphy, and I'm an artist and writer. My artworks are made using electrical tape, and my writing is made using words.
I'm from a place called Ilkley in West Yorkshire, and studied first for a bachelors degree in graphic design, then a masters degree in contemporary fine art, both at The University of Salford.
I started drawing with electrical tape whilst doing my masters, and it just spiralled out of control. I was never looking for an unusual medium or anything, it just happened naturally.
What is your first artistic memory?
When I was around six years old my teacher gave me a gridded colouring in picture, and whenever I was particularly well behaved I got to colour in a square of it. Once the whole picture was coloured in I got a prize that I have since forgotten the nature of.
I find it interesting that art was in some way a form of encouragement, and the withholding of it was essentially a punishment. Perhaps this is why I now crave to be creative all day, although I abandoned colour long ago.
What single thing encouraged your love of art?
My GCSE art teacher Mrs Henson was a real factor in why I ultimately became an artist. I was a real tearaway at school, with no real drive to achieve academically. She sat me down on my own in a corner every lesson and made me draw this pair of ornate glass bottles sat on a mirror. Through sheer boredom I started actually focusing on drawing rather than messing around, and found not only that I enjoyed it, but I wasn't terrible at it. She then pretty much forced me to leave school and go to art college.
I since emailed the school and tried to get her contact details so I could say thank you, but sadly they didn't have any.
When you’re writing for publications, what subjects interest you?
I think that conceptual art is the most fascinating art movement in history, which surprises most people being that my practice is very figurative and technique-focused. Within conceptual art the artist's technical abilities and craftsmanship are less important, and the crafting of an idea is what makes up the work. This is fascinating.
Who are your favourite artists?
Chris Burden, Lucian Freud, Carravaggio, Santiago Sierra, Marina Abramovic (her early work mainly), Cornelia Parker, Hernan Bas, Nobuyoshi Araki, Egon Schiele, Francesca Woodman, Vincent Van Gogh, Mona Hatoum.
In terms of your writing, who would be your dream interviewee/assignment?
I would have loved to hang out with Chris Burden when he did one of his most outrageous early works like Tv Hijack or Shoot.
What inspires your artwork?
Literature and poetry.
Who is your target audience for your art work?
This is a tough one, I know that it won't appeal to everyone, and I would somehow feel like I'd failed if it did. More than that I'm not sure, but I have noticed that I sell more nude portraits of women to women, than I do to men.
What excites you about writing for After Nyne?
The idea that I can write about the exploitative artworks of Santiago Sierra, or the violence present in the works of Cornelia Parker, and have it read by a W.H. Smiths audience.
What are your tips for people looking to break into the art, and art writing?
The answer for both is the same: read voraciously, about everything that is even slightly connected to what you are interested in. Then work tirelessly hard.
Twitter - @BenjaminMurphy0
Instagram - BenjaminMurphy_
Facebook - BenjaminMurphyArt
To enquire about joining our team of writers, and getting an international platform for your work visit http://www.afternyne.com/opportunities
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