1 Outlined Proposal
Acknowledgements I would like to thank Jeff Murray for his contributions to this study, and for his thoughtful, in-depth responses to my interview questions. All artworks of his included in this study are reprinted with his permission.
3 Acknowledgements
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Jeff Murray, excerpt from ‘Magical India’ Pen & Ink on canvas, 2014
5
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Jeff Murray, ‘Man of the Wild’ Pen on paper, 2014
LOOK CLOSER: The Illustrated World of Jeff Murray Contents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Foreword Introduction & Context: “The attention to detail in a world concerned with the ‘bigger picture’” An Interview with Jeff Murray An Overview of Jeff Murray’s Work Behind the Finished Product: Analyzing the Effect the History of Art has on Artists Today Looking Closer: A Commentary Meaning & Impact Afterword Bibliography
7 Table of Contents
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Jeff Murray, ‘Queenstown’ Pen & Ink on canvas, 2012
Foreword For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the intricacies to be found in nature. I naturally gravitate to drawing in a hyper-detailed style in an attempt to capture those intricacies. This has led to me choosing, for my A2 Graphic Design coursework, to produce graphics with a biological slant that looks at the impact that the small details can have on a larger level. Likewise, when it came to my Personal Study I wanted to look at an artist who also places importance on the detail and complexity of natural beauty. Two years ago, I encountered Murray’s unique approach to depicting the flora and fauna of the New Zealand landscape, and was struck by how effectively he managed to convey my own sentiments in his work. His minimal use of brightly coloured inks sharply offset the precise, intricate rendering of detail in pen. The resulting work combines the technicality of etching with the intensity and the surreal qualities of psychedelic art, and it is this sort of combination of the technical and the abstract that I aspire to create in my own work.
In my coursework, I have also attempted to explore the theme of identity; how identity is conveyed using art as a medium, and what impact art can have on identity. As an artist with a highly individual style that so well reflects the way he views the world, and whose art is clearly an extension of himself, Jeff Murray is also relevant to this aspect of my work. As a compliment to my own artistic endeavours in both coursework and personal work, I have chosen to look closer at Jeff Murray’s pieces and creative processes. I also aim to discuss the impact his deeply personal, thoughtful approach to art has when applied to a wider societal level.
9 Foreword
Introduction Jeff Murray is a relatively young artist in his late twenties, who is based in Queenstown, New Zealand. Born in 1986 in Aylesbury, Buckingham, he completed first an ND, then an HND and finally a BA in Graphic Design in Britain before travelling overseas. He is at the beginning of his artistic career, and has a promising future. Since Murray’s graduation from art school in 2007, he has travelled extensively throughout America, Europe, Asia and Australasia, and his love of travel and interest in other cultures has greatly influenced his distinctive, nature-centric style. Although being knowledgeable of Computer Aided Design and other modern approaches to graphic production, he prefers to work traditionally, in a hand-generated style. This struck me particularly when I came in contact with his work, in a market in Queenstown two years ago.
11 Introduction
The Attention to Detail in a World Concerned With the “Big Picture” “LOOK CLOSER” The words displayed as a top banner on the homepage of Jeff Murray’s website are poignant- they invite us, ‘Look Closer’. This adeptly describes the recurrent theme that links all of his otherwise diverse ranges of subject matter and form. In every one of Murray’s highly detailed pieces, the intricacy is an appeal to look closer- not only at his work, but at the world around us.
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Jeff Murray, ‘The Reptile God’ Pen on paper, 2014
When Murray tackles geography- maps of New Zealand and Australia, for exampleit’s not the large distinguishing features, but the small ones that explode off the page towards us. He depicts the countries bursting with facets of our cultures- music, food, native flora and fauna- concluding that it’s the details that make up a country and provide it with its individuality. Likewise, the focus of another of his pieces shrinks abruptly from an overview of the Queenstown landscape to the intensely colored mushrooms in the foreground, emphasizing the impact of the small over the impact of the large. This forces us to consider our view of the small, less important or often overlooked parts of life. These details are easy to forget in today’s emphasis on large-scale thinking. Murray’s work creates a confrontation between current cultural mentalities and a deeply spiritual appreciation of life’s subtle details. This confrontation runs somewhat deeper than his work being just a refreshing alternative to commercialism. It’s a personal, individual view that challenges our own personal, individual views.
13 The Attention to Detail in a World Concerned with the “Big Picture”
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Jeff Murray, ‘Straya’ Pen & Ink on canvas, 2013
An Interview with Jeff Murray
15 An Interview with Jeff Murray
How long have you worked as an artist? I've had a number of small commissioned works over the past 7-8 years, but have been working as a full time Artist as of April 2012, when I first arrived in Queenstown.
What was it that first inspired you to pursue illustration and Graphic Design? I've always had a passion for creating things, whether it be with a pen in my hand or making a model out of papier-mâché as a child. During my time at school, I gained an interest in Graphic Design as well which I felt would broaden my approach to creating things.
How did your time studying Graphic Design at University influence your approach and artistic career? What were the specific influences? (e.g. a particular lecturer or fellow student…) It was only when I went to University that I learned how to create art within the digital world, using such programs as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark Xpress and Flash Design, as well as learning lots about Photography and developing a passion for that. These new materials and apparatus offered new outcomes within my work. However, I always wanted to bring my hand drawn style into each project somehow, as I felt that is and always has been my strongest talent, and I didn't want to let it slip aside. To be honest, I didn't have too many teachers or lectures that were inspirational to a level that I looked up to them, purely as they tried to push me towards the digital way of creating things more as opposed to creating hand drawn images. Then again, I was studying Graphic Design, not Art. There was one student, a guy named David Hurren who was autistic and was a
phenomenal artist. His style, similar to mine with the pen & ink, was incredibly detailed and intricate. He had an obsession with Werewolves, and would always draw them. Bizarre, but amazing all the same.
Outside of University, have you been influenced by others, or by art movements? What or who has influenced you to generate art, produce original artworks & develop your personal style? The movie industry has always gripped me within the art world. I always have been a fan of films, and always envisioned working as an Art Director or Storyboard Artist someday. If you look at concept work and storyboard sciences from such action movies as The Matrix, then you'll understand my interest. And related to the movie industry, is the late great Artist, Mr H.R. Giger, the man behind the design for the original Alien movies. His works to me are out of this world, he would have been a great figure for me to have met. Music has a big influence within my work, and especially music that has great artwork to go with it. One of my favourite bands over the years, Tool, use the artwork of Alex Grey, and New York artist who focuses on spiralling patterns, spirituality and human existence. It’s quite a unique taste, but I find it very interesting and inspiring. I imagine his
Who is your favourite artist and how has she/he influenced your work? M.C. Escher. Growing up and studying Art at School and University, his work would always trick my mind into thinking, "How is that possible?" I loved the idea of impossible scenarios, where the physics and environment just wouldn't work in the real world, but he somehow brought it to life and made it believable. I have tried to create my own 'Impossible Illusion' pieces inspired by his style on a number of occasions; I love the challenge of it. I had already mentioned Alex Grey and H.R. Giger, but another Artist that isn't that well known is American/Italian artist Matteo Pericoli. His artwork featured on the cover of the 2005 Beastie Boys "To the 5 Boroughs" album. It was an entire 2 sided pen & ink drawing of either side of Manhattan, building for building. I remember seeing it in the shops and thinking "Wow, his work looks just like mine?!" From then on, I have always followed his works and projects and had a great interest.
Has the content of your work, your methods or your style changed throughout your career? Why or why not? The style of pen & ink has always been my style, but the themes and things I've drawn has progressed and I'd like to think, evolved. Growing up, I wanted to be an architect, and would be obsessed with drawing buildings and urban landscapes. Then over the past 4 years or so, I'd say my style has grown towards a more nature inspired vibe. This is due to my travel experiences and new interactions with different cultures around the globe.
What type of method/s do you prefer (e.g., media, materials, oil or acrylic, traditional or digital‌)? Well, as I'd mentioned before, at University, I was trained and learned how to create art within the digital world. And during my time at school, I
learned how to paint with Acrylics, Oils and Watercolours. I have always preferred to simply have a pen in my hand, and a piece of paper or blank canvas in front of me. For me, the challenge of putting pen to paper, knowing that there's no turning back if I make a mistake, it my passion. Over the years, I have introduced elements of colour to my pen & ink works, giving it that contrast between the two, usually in the medium of Acrylic or Watercolour, and occasionally, coloured pens.
Do you work from photos taken by yourself or others, or from real-life observation, or even from your memory/imagination? All the above. My first canvas I did back in 2008 of New York took me 3 months and anywhere from 400-500 hours went into it. This was done using the 2000+ photos I had gotten of the city the year before when I visited, also images from books, Google and even Goggle Earth as I needed to know what the street lay-outs looked like. Other pieces over the years have been inspired from images I've taken, photos from other and still life on occasion. But when I can, I mostly like to use my imagination to create something bizarre and different.
Do you use editing programmes (e.g. Photoshop, Illustrator or other digital programmes) to generate or develop ideas for your work? What place do you think these tools holds in today’s society? I used them greatly at University, and still to this day use them for my Business Identity, such as my website, business cards and signage. However, within my artwork, I never use digital tools to create original work. To me, it kind of defeats the purpose that if you make a mistake, you can just press
17 An Interview with Jeff Murray
Do you freelance or are you commissioned to produce work? How do you go about selling your work? I have done both Freelance and have been commissioned on many occasions to create works for people interested in my art. Generally though, I sell my work directly in person at arts and craft markets and galleries. In New Zealand, I was selling my work each Saturday at the Earnslaw Park markets, and in the summer months, also on Wednesdays and Fridays. Wanaka also featured Sunday markets during the summer, to which I attended. I also sell my work via my website and promote via Facebook.
How have you become recognised for your artwork – that is, how did your career start? Have you exhibited work in Art Galleries? Do you find some Art Gallery’s commission puts off artists holding exhibitions and do you think the exhibit of artworks in galleries pretentious? It all started with the idea from an ex-girlfriend, that when we arrived to Queenstown after a two-month road trip around New Zealand, we needed money. She suggested that I try and sell my work at the local arts and craft markets, by making prints and displaying both the originals (which were at the time about x10 A4 paper pieces, and one canvas that I had done for her) and prints of each one in A4 and A3 sizes. I wasn't confident but she was very optimistic, and believed in me. So we tried it out, and to my complete surprise, I sold an original and lots of prints. This was the best feeling on earth, to know that the public, not a friend, not a family member, complete strangers liked and loved my work, and wanted to invest in it. She sadly was in NZ for another four weeks before she went back altogether. We are no longer together, but remain great friends and I will always credit her to this day for the person who pushed me to putting my work out there. I did have one exhibition in the October of 2012, which was small, but effective. I had my work displayed for three days and had a number of
people come by. I wasn't overly successful in terms of money making, but it felt great to say I've actually had my works exhibited. I have had my prints displayed in galleries since also, but yes, I am slightly put off due to the commission they put on each piece. I feel this can also put off the buyer. I prefer to sell my work in person, I feel it's more honest and I can answer any question the buyer has for me.
What impact do you want your work to have on others? I love it when someone can look at my work closely, as it takes me so long to create each piece. If I see someone looking at my work with a smile, it makes me smile. And when people ask what each piece is about, or suggest what they think it’s about, I enjoy both to answer them and get a response. And then knowing that that person takes home a print, or an original, I like knowing the feeling that they're going to hang that art of mine on a wall somewhere in their house and show people it, and look at it time and time again with enjoyment.
What, in your opinion, makes your artwork appealing to others? I feel that it's the unique twist I have put on my nature-inspired pieces. I often get people say to me that they've never seen work like it before. The human shaped trees with the red mushrooms, the countries made from intertwining branches and animals; these are things that I feel are original and people can connect to. Also, the fine detail draws in people. They can look at my "This is New Zealand" piece from a far and say "Hey, that's New Zealand" but when they approach closer, they realise there's so much more going on within the piece. For this reason, my work doesn't go down so well with the older generation as I feel it's too much for them to look at.
Why is art important to you? Because it's what I love doing best, and for as long as I'm able, I will draw until the day I die. And now that I know I can make a comfortable living from drawing things that I want to draw, I will work at this harder and harder to achieve ultimate clarity within myself. Art has made me a happy man.
What place do you think art/illustration holds in today’s society?
What inspires you on a regular basis, and how are you motivated to generate new work? Surroundings are a big influence, especially when I'm travelling. All the sights and sounds have so much life, I feel I have to try and capture them somehow within my work. Music is a big motivation, I like to vision art to songs I like. And when I'm drawing, music will usually be on in the background. Depending on what I'm drawing, will depend on the music I'm listening to.
I feel it's important. Nowadays, everything has gone digital, our world is virtual. Everything we want to know can be a click away by these little devices we hold in our hands that control our lives. One of my favourite athletes, Travis Rice, quoted in the 2011 Snowboard film The Art of Flight "Experiencing the world through second hand information isn’t enough. If we want authenticity we have to initiate it." I couldn't agree more.
Artwork is forever changing - is there anything that you would say that has shaped our present surroundings? I feel you can notice the change of art styles and movements over the years. It seems that people are trying to create something new every day, got one step further. It feels very rushed, seasons used to be natural things, now they're in our fashion, our electrical items, etc. etc. I'd like to think that art can stand for all time and will never go out of fashion.
What do you believe the role of an artist, designer or illustrator is? To create whatever you want to create, and put it out there. Everyone will have the fear of rejection the first time, but you need to be prepared for that. You will always get people who won't like your work or style, but that's because everyone’s different. But for the ones that do like it, the reward is wonderful.
What, in your opinion, are the essential steps for an up-incoming art student to make a successful living as an artist, illustrator or designer?
19 An Interview with Jeff Murray
I feel they need to be confident to create whatever they want to create and not to be advised to take their work in another direction. They need to know, that they will face rejection and certain people will not appreciate their style, and but some people will, and they will never know unless they try. And one of the hardest parts can be competition. If they have a style or technique similar to someone else, they could find it hard to compete against them. If they have fixated on something original, they will be successful.
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Jeff Murray, ‘Remarkable View’ Pen & Ink on Canvas, 2012 thing. I don't like to be sad, so if I am, drawing soon cures my reason for it.
What others jobs have you had, and have they influenced you artistically? What do you do when you have down time? Draw. If I'm happy I draw, if I'm sad I draw, and that makes me happy again. When I draw, I slip into a frame set of mind that is satisfying and is almost like a meditative state. It's comforting to know I'm creating some-
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Jeff Murray, ‘Unforgiving’
When I lived in Canada, I first worked as a Mountain Lift Operator for Whistler Blackcomb. The pay wasn't great, and the days were long and cold, but we got to ride both too and from work, up and down the mountain, with an additional one or two ride breaks a day. This at the time was my art, and to get a little bit of practice in each day was inspiring, and getting to know the mountain and how it all works was very interesting. It made my knowledge and respect for mountains increase so much, and has played a big part in my art over the years. Mountains are my favourite landscapes, and I feel they play a big part in my life, and to include them within my work seems appropriate.
Pen & Ink on canvas, 2014 Have I missed anything you may want to add to this interview? I could also mention that the passion I have for travelling is always growing, and I love visiting all the places that I do. And to connect my art within this way of life is the cherry on the cake. Knowing that I can travel and to make a living from my art at the same time is a dream come true for me. And I want to continue this lifestyle with new inspirations coming from all over the globe, knowing that if I go with the flow and take each day as it comes, anything could be waiting for me around the corner. And going back to my favourite band Tool, in their song Laterlaus the lead Singer, Maynard James Keenan quotes "Following our will and wind, we may just go where none've been, and we'll ride the spiral until the end and may just go where none’ve been. Spiral
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An Overview of Jeff Murray’s Work Murray’s background as a student of graphic design clearly influences his work, which is detailed and at times verges on fine art, but nonetheless retains a graphic element to it. He has also cited the influences of artists he admires, and traces of their styles are apparent in his work. In saying this, however apparent the influence of other artists, it is clear Murray builds on them with a type of spontaneity and individuality that is wholly his own, with no one influence being dominant overall. Many of his pieces have a ‘rough’ feel to them, a sense of deliberate quirkiness (although he is clearly technically adept) which makes each piece highly individual, and very human. You get the overwhelming sense of a personal style that renders the artwork inseparable from the artist. It is clear that every piece he produces is in some way an extension of himself, and the resulting works are neither ‘glossy’ nor ‘polished’ in the modern senses of the words, but organic and unique.
Methods Unlike many mixed-media artists, Murray has not been tempted to use tactile textures or compromise on detail. Instead, he opts for a simple combination of pen and minimal use of bright inks or acrylics. Additionally, unlike artists coming from a Graphic Design background, he doesn’t do any postproduction digital editing. In using traditional approaches to art, he flies in the face of the current trend for heavily digitally-rendered images and sleek sophistication. It is this contrast in approaches and in artistic methods which makes Murray’s work especially interesting.
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Jeff Murray, ‘So Far Gone’ Pen & Ink on Canvas, 2011
What picture, though?
23 An Overview of Jeff Murray’s Work
Behind the Finished Product: Analyzing the Effect the History of Art has on Artists Today “With inspiration taken from music, film, subconscious state of mind, lifestyle and the exploration of travel, the endless search for new outcomes never tires. By drawing these ideas in art formations allows you to [sic] step into an intricate world of surreal illusions, intertwining natural surroundings and realistic impressions.” from Jeff Murray’s website
After interviewing Murray, I discovered an area of interest that I had not considered in detail before– namely the impact of the work of other artists on his style and content. Murray talked at length during the interview about how the inspirations of other artists and art forms have helped him to develop his own style. I consider this concept of “artistic corpus”, if you will, to be especially interesting, as we have all been to an extent shaped by the work of others in some way. When analyzing the work of any artist, it is apparent they have in turn been influenced by artists and art movements that have come before them. It is always interesting to see how artists draw inspiration from those they admire, but interpret and build on these inspirations to create something that is unique to them.
25 Behind the Finished Product
The Pen & Ink Tradition Technical adeptness in art has been valued highly throughout its history. Intricacy and faithfulness of rendering are reflections of the effort put into the work, and so are (classically) what is to be aspired to. Albrecht Dürer for example, widely regarded as one of the greatest Renaissance artists, took a mathematician’s approach to his drawings. The labor and intense attention paid to a subject seen in Durer’s work doubtless inspired generations of artists after him to undergo similar “labors of love”.
Albrecht Dürer, ‘Rhinocerus’ Ink Drawing on paper, 1515 Jeff Murray, ‘The Himalayan Cat’ Pen on paper, 2014
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Jeff Murray, ‘New York New York’ Pen on Canvas, 2011
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Matteo Pericoli, ‘London Unfurled: North Bank’ Pen & Ink, 2012
Coming from a background of architectural drawing, in Murray’s art is also to be found a love of form and structure. As an artist who works solely in paint and ink, his work is free to show expression largely just in complexity of detail. We, as the viewers of his art, can tell how much Murray appreciates an object by the staggering amount of time he will spend in drawing it. He admits to sometimes taking hundreds of hours to complete a single, overwhelmingly complex piece, such as seen in his rendition of New York (2008). In this way, Murray’s work remains quite true to the precise rendering of traditional lineart- albeit with modern content and in combination with selective use of colour. It also, of course, has much in common with architectural draftsmanship. The Italian-born Matteo Pericoli, journalist, architect and designer, uses architectural drawings as a basis for producing quirky, highly rendered line-art. Although Murray specifies in his interview that he discovered Pericoli after developing his intense architectural style, the two are comparable in technique; both studying and faithfully rendering a man-made world. Since discovering the similarities between his own style and Pericoli’s, Murray explains he has “always followed his works and projects and had a great interest.”
27 Behind the Finished Product
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M.C. Escher, ‘Rind’ Wood engraving, 1955
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Jeff Murray, ‘Relentless Rik’ Pen & Ink on paper, 2014
The Influence of M.C Escher Escher is perhaps one of the first of what could be termed “graphic artists”, and undeniably one of the most famous. He, too, integrated a mathematician’s view of the world into his art, although working almost 300 years later than Durer and preferring a more conceptual approach that “dissects” or deconstructs the world around him. In his work, he creates numerous ocular illusions by presenting something common-place – for example, a face or a fish – that behaves in a startlingly unexpected way. The most famous of these explorations are his “impossible constructions”, which play with the nature of reality in a surreal but highly precise manner.
Arguably Escher’s strong influence is what gives Murray’s recent work its edge. He explores the relationship between the interior and exterior in very much the same way as Escher did in pieces such as “Rind” (1955). Playing with the notions of outer and inner, both Escher and Murray distort what the eye expects to see with an implicit humor, flippantly depicting a world where objects are unconstrained by natural laws. Murray, in particular, takes Escher’s “impossible constructions” and depicts them in a very fantastical, tongue-in-cheek manner that shows his personal flair. The precision of Murray’s lifelong fascination with architectural drawing is a quality also to be found in Escher’s work. M.C. Escher also had a fascination with architecture and how the concept of a human construct- a buildingcould be used to play with the laws of physics. Again, this is a case of ordinary objects being used to create ocular illusion. Murray especially pays homage to this in his early pieces, such as in “Change Your View” and “I Know the Pieces Fit”, both being examples of “impossible architecture”. He emulates Escher’s adherence to what could be called “nonsensical realism” – creating pieces so detailed, they seem almost inhabitable in their depth and quality of rendering- but nonetheless exist outside of reality.
29 Behind the Finished Product
Alex Grey & H R Giger
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Alex Grey, ‘The Seer’ Fantasy and psychedelic art have clearly had a large influence on Murray’s personal style. As he has progressed, his artwork has displayed an increasing mergence of the structural and the organic, the result being in some ways reminiscent of the work of science fiction artists. Murray himself has cited the legendary set designer and artist H.R. Giger, who was part of the team to win an Academy Award for their work on the sci-fi movie Alien, as a source of inspiration. Giger’s work is populated with a dark, Lovecraft-esque combination of bizarre technology and androgynous figures; a mixture of fantasy and biology. His pieces are meticulously rendered, and very beautiful, albeit in a disturbing way.
Charcoal on paper, 1997
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H.R. Giger, ‘Li I’ Painting, 1974
Alongside the element of science fiction, it is clear that Murray’s work has roots in the psychedelic. A school of art that has its basis in the countercultural youth of the sixties, psychedelic art has had a long-lasting legacy. The style has some very specific features. These include metaphysical or surrealistic subject matter, bright colours, extreme depth or stylization of detail, and the morphing of objects- all of which are prominent features in Murray’s work as well. So, while his art is not confined to just being psychedelic in nature, there are definite elements of the psychedelic running throughout it. This is interesting, as the influence here is less to do with a single artist, and is more [focused on] an overarching artistic school of thought. Murray’s interest in psychedelic art is epitomized in his admiration of the artist Alex Grey, and a more abstract form of artistic influence- the band Tool, which he repeatedly cites as an inspiration for his work. Alex Grey, in fact, contributed a design for the album cover of Tool’s “Lateralus”, a design which Murray paid homage to in his own interpretation of the song.
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Jeff Murray, ‘Lateralus’ Pen on paper, 2012
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Alex Grey, ‘Lateralus’ Ink on paper, 2001
31 Behind the Finished Product
Jeff Murray, excerpt from his commissioned piece, ‘Life is Everything Guitar’ Pen on classic guitar, 2014
Tool In the interview, Murray talked frequently about the impact music has had on his work. His love of the band Tool, linked to his appreciation of the album cover art created for them by Alex Grey, shows the influences of two art forms, the musical and the visual, overlapping. This presents an interesting ideaartistic influence as a broader concept, not limited to visual art forms. When an artist creates a piece, it is the culmination of consistently received input from a myriad of sources.
To Summarise In summary, investigating the widely different styles and ethos that have helped to shape Murray as an artist proves a very interesting exercise. These influences are diverse, ranging from the often detached technicality of architectural drawings to the inherent spirituality and abstraction of psychedelic art, and even other forms of media such as music and film. In Murray’s work, it is easy to see the dichotomy of the technical and the organic, and the convergence of these seemingly juxtaposed ideas are what gives his work its unique quality.
33 Behind the Finished Product
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Looking Closely: A Commentary Whether nature or architecture, Murray shows the relationship between these structures and people through his work. In one, trees grow tightly together in the shape of a hand, demonstrating the inseparable relationship between humanity and nature. In another, the buildings merge together in a seemingly impossible optical illusion. As Murray, like Escher, practices “playing with reality”, he reveals much about how the brain is capable of viewing its surrounding environment, and, as he portrays what he observes in a way unique to him, he so clearly expresses his own personality and viewpoint in his pieces.
Jeff Murray, excerpts from ‘Out of Africa’ Pen & Ink on canvas, 2014
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Jeff Murray, ‘Russel’s Roots’ Pen & Ink on canvas, 2012
I chose this artwork to feature because I believe it encapsulates much of Murray’s approach to his work. The hyper-detailed intensity of the piece, and its concentrated, almost mathematical patterns and weaving of tree roots immerse the viewer in the world of the drawing. Murray’s mastery of a simple medium, the ink pen, is displayed in the almost tangible texture of the wood face and roots. Although pen and ink have a tendency to be rather flat mediums, the piece seems three-dimensional; it bulges outwards at the centre, slowly fading into background at the edges as the roots become thinner and more interwoven. There is an implicit humor in the exaggerated features and slightly cartoonish expression, that shows Murray’s lighthearted treatment of the natural world he depicts. The piece has subtle psychedelic influences, with the glowing green spheres that look a little like planets and the dark green star at the centre of the tree’s forehead. It is a very outlandish, eccentric nature Murray envisages in his depiction of nature personified; a hickory, hardbitten old man with wild eyes and an attitude, seemingly materialising out of the bark towards us.
35 Looking Closely
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Jeff Murray, ‘Nature’s Reach’ Pen & Ink on canvas, 2011
I particularly like this piece of Murray’s, as it is a more understated example of his exploration of the relationship between people and nature. The use of white space to imply the shape of a hand softens the image, and the branches straining upwards are reminiscent of human blood vessels or veins. Due to the subtleness of the shading, the branches seem alive, and one can almost imagine them pulsating or moving gently. This combination reminds us of the inseparable link between mankind and nature. As the trees in this piece form the shape of the hand like a structural skeleton, allowing it to exist, so nature provides the framework in which we live. The use of spot colour in the mushrooms at the base of the trees adds life to the picture, and makes the whole thing seem as if it is growing upwards, as the hand strains upwards, through blank space.
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Jeff Murray, ‘Spiral Out, Keep Going’ Pen & Ink on canvas, 2014 I chose this piece as my last featured artwork because it is an example of Murray’s most recent work, and to me a culmination of both the architectural and the psychedelic influences running throughout his pieces. The homage to Escher is immediately seen in the “unpeeling” look of the dissected turtle, again so like Escher’s “Rind”, and the title of the work is taken from a Tool song, showing this also must have been a prominent influence. Murray’s ability to combine the two very different ideas of structure and fluidity in this piece indicate his artistic maturation. His love of structure is still apparent in his precise dissection of the turtle, and of his exploration of the relationship between interior and exterior. The organic qualities of the piece come from its subject, a turtle, and from the use of bright blue ink, which ameliorates the clinical black and white detail.
37 Looking Closely
Meaning & Impact I would say a sizeable part of why I have chosen Murray, a relatively young artist only just beginning his artistic career, is the personal connection I feel with his work. This idea of connection is arguably the key to his appeal. The methods Murray uses to publicize and sell his work are all inherently personal in nature, whether they involve buyers perusing his comments on the website he runs himself, connecting with him on social media via his Facebook page, or meeting him in person as he mans a market stall. In this way, he ekes out a living for himself while avoiding the high-pressured world of design industry.
Murray’s approach is effective because he has branded himself as an individual, appealing to a select target market. Taking advantage of newer forms of advertising, Murray makes use of social media to tell a story through his work - which humanizes it, making it accessible and maximizing its appeal. This reliance on media to generate sales allows him to travel extensively and still maintain a consistent client base. Murray’s other methods of sale also allow him freedom of movement. He sells his work in markets, via private sales, or through exhibitions- although with no contract to just one gallery. This allows him to be based where-ever he chooses, and he cites this flexibility as a source of creative stimulation:
“I could also mention that the passion I have for travelling is always growing, and I love visiting all the places that I do. And to connect my art within this way of life is the cherry on the cake. Knowing that I can travel and to make a living from my art at the same time is a dream come true for me.”
Murray’s approach may, admittedly, limit his artistic endeavors to being only a “small-scale” business. However, they are perfectly suited to his needs. His success is proof that it’s viable to earn a living doing what you love, and on your own terms.
Artists like Murray help to construct a contrast between a personal, small-scale approach to design and the typically impersonal, commercial ethos of art as a means to an end. Art tends to verge dangerously on being concerned only with ends. In the current-day art world, the bulk of artwork is forced to compromise. This is because it is intended as a tool for a specific function, rather than inspired as a result of individual expression.
Above
Excerpts from Murray’s sketchbook Sourced from his Facebook page
Too often, it is homogenized; “Photoshopped” into sterility, completely dependent on trends in the art world and with targeting a market as opposed to being personal and individual, independent of commercial considerations. Obviously, it is impractical to assert that all art should be merely “art for art’s sake”. Artists must earn a living in order to remain artists. The commercialization of art, too, has its place- especially in as commercial a culture as ours has become. However, it’s important to consider alternative outlooks. It is refreshing to see that not all creativity must be harnessed purely as a method to make money. In earning a living as an independent artist who clearly values art and the joy of creating above fiscal gain, Murray exists to counter and critique the modern-day approach to design.
39 Meaning & Impact
Left
Jeff Murray, ‘This Is New Zealand’ Pen & Ink on canvas, 2013
Afterword Recently, I attended an art workshop run by NZ-based international graffiti artist, BERST. In his preamble, BERST spoke about how graffiti was in essence a “proliferation of your name”. While this is literally true of graffiti, an art form which involves plastering your name in giant, highly-coloured lettering on the side of a building, I think this must also be figuratively true of art in general. To create is an exercise which demands you leave a little bit of yourself behind in what you produce. This is most certainly an idea that’s applicable to Murray, as a highly individual sort of artist. Quietly, in small ways, Murray proliferates his name among those who appreciate his work and enjoy art alongside him. This mode of connection paradoxically has a more lasting impact than industrial forms of art, which undeniably reach a large number of people, but often is not a truly original expression of the artist’s identity. Then there is the impact he has specifically on me, as an artist in my own right. As a secondary school student, I’m often caught up in the “mechanics” of academia- producing work under pressure, to meet specific requirements, or for a grade. And in fact, this mentality of all pursuits being merely means to an end is ingrained in our culture and our time. I’m not suggesting all art must exist for itself only, or that viewing art as a tool to gain money or grades is completely wrong. In fact, I have learned much from my experiences in the art room, as I am sure Murray learnt much from his years spent studying art at university. But, perhaps, it’s most important to look past this, and to regain the curiosity and wonder with which we regarded the world when we drew it as children. It is this fascination with the world- both natural and man-made- that I see coming through in Murray’s work, and this is where I think we can learn from him most. It’s important that none of us forget to pause, and look closer every once and a while. Just for the sake of it.
41 Afterword
Left
Hope Sutherland, ‘Tree of Life’ Pen on paper, 2013
Below
Jeff Murray, ‘Spooky Tree’ tattoo design Pencil on paper, 2013
43 Comparing Styles
Bibliography Images All work of Murray’s sourced from his Facebook page: Or from his personal website: Albrecht Durer’s “Rhinoceros”: Matteo Pericoli’s “London Unfurled”: M.C. Escher’s “Rind”:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeff-Murray-Art/317964238214393?sk=timeline&ref=page_internal http://www.jeffmurray.co.uk/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer http://www.artrabbit.com/uk/events/event/32976/london_unfurled http://art.ayay.co.uk/art/optical_illusion/m_c_escher/rind/
H.R. Giger’s “Li II”
http://www.mushroom-magazine.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ U_48_773247508563_HR_Giger_Li_II.jpg
Alex Grey’s “The Seer”:
http://alexgrey.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Alex_Grey-The_Seer.jpg
Alex Grey’s “Lateralus” (For Tool):
http://thenire.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/tool_alex_grey_wall_by_useful416.jpg
Content Information referenced in regards to Jeff Murray was found either on his Facebook page, his website, or gained first-hand from my interview with him. Additional information was found on the website “The Snow Review” in their interview “Man of Pen and Ink”: www.thesnowreview.com/features/article/jeff-murray-man-of-pen-ink Information regarding M.C. Escher, Alex Grey, Matteo Pericoli, the psychedelic art movement, and Albrecht Durer was largely sourced from Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.com). Additional sources included the H.R. Giger museum website (http://www.hrgigermuseum.com) and the website of Alex Grey (www.alexgrey.com).