Idris Murphy's guest appearances

Idris Murphy

Talking with Painters

landscape conversations

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Last Thursday I was thrilled to speak with Idris Murphy, leading contemporary artist and a previous podcast guest, in front of a live audience at the S.H.Ervin Gallery in Sydney. It’s where the survey exhibition of his work, ‘Idris Murphy: Backblocks’ is now showing and continues until 26 March 2023. Curated by Terence Maloon, it features breathtaking work predominantly from the last two decades. Paintings which shimmer, glow, and transport the viewer.  Idris talked with me about his career including the stories behind several works, the influence indigenous culture has had on his approach and how he works in the studio. Although this exhibition is impressive in its quality and depth, this isn’t the first survey show of Idris’s work. The exhibition ‘I and Thou’ in 2009/2010 had highlighted the preceding 30 years of work.  He has exhibited in over 40 solo shows over the years with work in major public collections including  the National Gallery of Australia and Art Gallery of NSW. Thanks to everyone who came along!  I also filmed our conversation and will be uploading an edited version of this chat to the TWP YouTube channel in the coming months. Idris is represented by King Street Gallery in Sydney. Photo of Idris Murphy in his studio (2022) by Maria Stoljar  Current exhibition ‘Idris Murphy: Backblocks’, S.H.Ervin Gallery, Sydney, until 26 March 2023 Links  Idris Murphy’s website Idris Murphy at King Street Gallery Previous podcast interview with Idris Murphy: Episode 131 Henri Matisse Clip of the American writer I refer to in the episode at about 6:40 – Etel Adnan – on beauty  Susan Sontag – ‘On Photography’ Jeanette Winterson Annie Dillard Rose Wylie John Berger  The quote we refer to is from his book ‘and our faces, my heart, as brief as photos’ Bono – ‘Surrender’ Nick Cave Badger Bates Tickets to Artist Talk with Nick Stathopoulos at AGNSW Subscribe to the TWP monthly newsletter    Installation photo – S.H.Ervin Gallery (see below for individual works)  ‘Somewhere in France 1’, 2017, acrylic and collage on aluminium, 151 x 141cm ANU Art Collection  ‘Somewhere in France 2’, 2017, acrylic and collage on aluminium, 151 x 141cm ANU Art Collection  ‘Somewhere in France 3’, 2017, acrylic and collage on aluminium, 151 x 141cm ANU Art Collection  ‘Half Moon at the New’, 2015, acrylic on aluminium, 153 x 153cm Courtesy of the artist and King Street Gallery  ‘Weipa Harbour Storm’, 2005, acrylic and collage on board, 120 x 120cm  ‘Low tide Boodery National Park’, 2015, acrylic and collage on board, 150 x 150cm Private collection

<h4>Last Thursday I was thrilled to speak with Idris Murphy, leading contemporary artist and a <a href="https://talkingwithpainters.com/2022/08/25/ep-131-idris-murphy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">previous podcast guest</a>, in front of a live audience at the S.H.Ervin Gallery in Sydney.</h4> It’s where the survey exhibition of his work, ‘Idris Murphy: Backblocks’ is now showing and continues until 26 March 2023. Curated by Terence Maloon, it features breathtaking work predominantly from the last two decades. Paintings which shimmer, glow, and transport the viewer.  Idris talked with me about his career including the stories behind several works, the influence indigenous culture has had on his approach and how he works in the studio. Although this exhibition is impressive in its quality and depth, this isn’t the first survey show of Idris’s work. The exhibition ‘I and Thou’ in 2009/2010 had highlighted the preceding 30 years of work. He has exhibited in over 40 solo shows over the years with work in major public collections including  the National Gallery of Australia and Art Gallery of NSW. Thanks to everyone who came along!  I also filmed our conversation and will be uploading an edited version of this chat to the TWP YouTube channel in the coming months. Idris is represented by King Street Gallery in Sydney. Photo of Idris Murphy in his studio (2022) by Maria Stoljar  <h4>Current exhibition</h4> <a href="https://www.shervingallery.com.au/event/idris-murphy-backblocks/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">‘Idris Murphy: Backblocks’, S.H.Ervin Gallery, Sydney, until 26 March 2023</a> <h4>Links</h4> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.idrismurphy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Idris Murphy’s website</a></li> <li><a href="https://kingstreetgallery.com.au/artists/idris-murphy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Idris Murphy at King Street Gallery</a></li> <li><a href="https://talkingwithpainters.com/2022/08/25/ep-131-idris-murphy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Previous podcast interview with Idris Murphy: Episode 131</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Matisse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Henri Matisse</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpCxPKNoP9-/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clip of the American writer I refer to in the episode at about 6:40 – Etel Adnan – on beauty </a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Photography" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Susan Sontag – ‘On Photography’</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanette_Winterson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeanette Winterson</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Dillard" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Annie Dillard</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Wylie" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rose Wylie</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Berger" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Berger</a>  The quote we refer to is from his book ‘and our faces, my heart, as brief as photos’</li> <li><a href="https://surrendermemoir.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bono – ‘Surrender’</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nickcave.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nick Cave</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.agsa.sa.gov.au/education/resources-educators/resources-educators-themed/world-environment-day/badger-bates/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Badger Bates</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/events/artists-in-conversation-nick-stathopoulos/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tickets to Artist Talk with Nick Stathopoulos at AGNSW</a></li> <li><a href="https://talkingwithpainters.com/newsletter-signup/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to the TWP monthly newsletter </a></li> </ul> Installation photo – S.H.Ervin Gallery (see below for individual works) ‘Somewhere in France 1’, 2017, acrylic and collage on aluminium, 151 x 141cm ANU Art Collection ‘Somewhere in France 2’, 2017, acrylic and collage on aluminium, 151 x 141cm ANU Art Collection ‘Somewhere in France 3’, 2017, acrylic and collage on aluminium, 151 x 141cm ANU Art Collection ‘Half Moon at the New’, 2015, acrylic on aluminium, 153 x 153cm Courtesy of the artist and King Street Gallery ‘Weipa Harbour Storm’, 2005, acrylic and collage on board, 120 x 120cm ‘Low tide Boodery National Park’, 2015, acrylic and collage on board, 150 x 150cm Private collection

Ep  140: Idris Murphy: Backblocks (live at the S.H.Ervin Gallery)

‘Colour, for me, is the main game’ Idris Murphy tells me as we sit in his studio in Sydney’s southern suburb of Kurnell, a stone’s throw from Botany Bay.  On various easels around the room are works in progress. His distinctive energetic brushstrokes, often using metallic paint, the carefully placed collage pieces and thin lines scratched into the wet surface are just part of what makes up his arresting work.   And yes, colour takes centre stage – in this case bringing life to the landscape of the Northern Territory’s East MacDonnell ranges which he has visited and revisited.  Idris Murphy is one of Australia’s leading landscape painters and his work sits between representation and abstraction. He was inspired from an early age by the work of Matisse but, as he later explored what it meant to paint the Australian landscape, it was the way the Indigenous artists saw the land that influenced him to take into account both traditions. In recognition of his career, the survey show ‘Idris Murphy: BACKBLOCKS’ has just opened at the Drill Hall Gallery in Canberra.  Curated by gallery director Terence Maloon, the exhibition includes important works from the last 30 years of more than 50 years of work. The exhibition will also travel to Orange Regional Gallery and S.H Ervin Gallery and a monograph will be available in early 2023.  Idris has won the Gallipoli Art prize, has exhibited in 40 solo shows and group shows including a previous major travelling survey exhibition in 2009-2010. His work is held in the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW and other state and corporate collections.  His love of literature, poetry and philosophy also comes through clearly in our conversation and you can find references to the works he mentioned in the podcast episode in the links below. I’ll also be uploading a short video we filmed on the day of the interview onto the Youtube channel and this website in the coming weeks.  Idris is represented by King Street Gallery on William in Sydney.  To hear the podcast interview, click ‘play’ beneath the above feature photo Upcoming shows and talks  Survey show, ‘BACKBLOCKS’, Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, August 19 to October 16, 2022 The above survey show will then travel to Orange Regional Gallery and S.H Ervin Gallery  Group show ‘Earth Canvas’, Australian National Museum, Canberra 25 August to 20 October 2022 Solo show ‘NOW AND THEN’ Mitchell Fine Art, Brisbane, 18 October to 5 November 2022  Links  Idris Murphy (website) Idris Murphy at King Street Gallery on William  George Steiner – ‘Real Presences’ Hilary Spurling – ‘The Unknown Matisse’ Lloyd Rees Kevin Connor Patrick White  Colin Lanceley Philip Guston  John McDonald Video by Sean O’Brien ‘Idris Murphy – Empyrean: scattering of stars’ Annie Dillard  Frank Auerbach Ken Whisson Jack Green (ANU art collection) John Berger Fowler’s Gap Research Station – UNSW Badger Bates (Artist Profile magazine) Christopher Neve ‘Unquiet landscape’ Giorgio Morandi  Piero Della Francesca Alberto Giacometti Ross Laurie Martin Buber – ‘I and Thou’  Gallipoli Evening, 2013, acrylic and collage on board, 130 x 120cmWinner Gallipoli Art Prize 2014 Evening Tide 2020, acrylic &amp; collage on aluminium, 141 x 151cmImage courtesy of the artist and King Street Gallery on William Afternoon to Evening Fowlers Gap 2009 acrylic &amp; collage on board 120 x 110cmImage courtesy of the artist and King Street Gallery on William Somewhere in France 2 2017 acrylic &amp; collage on aluminium 151 x 141cmImage courtesy of the artist and King Street Gallery on William Works in progress which we talk about in the podcast episode at about 1hr 12mins Work in progress which we talk about in the podcast at about 1hr 22mins

<h4>‘Colour, for me, is the main game’ Idris Murphy tells me as we sit in his studio in Sydney’s southern suburb of Kurnell, a stone’s throw from Botany Bay. </h4> On various easels around the room are works in progress. His distinctive energetic brushstrokes, often using metallic paint, the carefully placed collage pieces and thin lines scratched into the wet surface are just part of what makes up his arresting work. And yes, colour takes centre stage – in this case bringing life to the landscape of the Northern Territory’s East MacDonnell ranges which he has visited and revisited. Idris Murphy is one of Australia’s leading landscape painters and his work sits between representation and abstraction. He was inspired from an early age by the work of Matisse but, as he later explored what it meant to paint the Australian landscape, it was the way the Indigenous artists saw the land that influenced him to take into account both traditions. In recognition of his career, the survey show ‘Idris Murphy: BACKBLOCKS’ has just opened at the Drill Hall Gallery in Canberra. Curated by gallery director Terence Maloon, the exhibition includes important works from the last 30 years of more than 50 years of work. The exhibition will also travel to Orange Regional Gallery and S.H Ervin Gallery and a monograph will be available in early 2023. Idris has won the Gallipoli Art prize, has exhibited in 40 solo shows and group shows including a previous major travelling survey exhibition in 2009-2010. His work is held in the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW and other state and corporate collections. His love of literature, poetry and philosophy also comes through clearly in our conversation and you can find references to the works he mentioned in the podcast episode in the links below. I’ll also be uploading a short video we filmed on the day of the interview onto the Youtube channel and this website in the coming weeks.  Idris is represented by King Street Gallery on William in Sydney. To hear the podcast interview, click ‘play’ beneath the above feature photo <h4>Upcoming shows and talks</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://dhg.anu.edu.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Survey show, ‘BACKBLOCKS’, Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, August 19 to October 16, 2022</a></li> <li>The above survey show will then travel to <a href="https://www.orange.nsw.gov.au/gallery/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Orange Regional Gallery </a>and<a href="https://www.shervingallery.com.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> S.H Ervin Gallery </a></li> <li><a href="https://earthcanvas.com.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Group show ‘Earth Canvas’, Australian National Museum, Canberra 25 August to 20 October 2022</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.mitchellfineartgallery.com/artists/stockroom-artists/idris-murphy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solo show ‘NOW AND THEN’ Mitchell Fine Art, Brisbane, 18 October to 5 November 2022</a></li> </ul> <h4>Links</h4> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.idrismurphy.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Idris Murphy (website)</a></li> <li><a href="https://kingstreetgallery.com.au/artists/idris-murphy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Idris Murphy at King Street Gallery on William </a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Steiner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">George Steiner – ‘Real Presences’</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224953.The_Unknown_Matisse_1869_1908" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hilary Spurling – ‘The Unknown Matisse’</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Rees" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lloyd Rees</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Connor_(artist)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kevin Connor</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_White" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick White </a></li> <li><a href="https://artistprofile.com.au/colin-lanceley-1938-2015/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colin Lanceley</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Guston" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Philip Guston </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.johnmcdonald.net.au" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John McDonald</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go2sc3TfG20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Video by Sean O’Brien ‘Idris Murphy – Empyrean: scattering of stars’</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Dillard" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Annie Dillard </a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Auerbach" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frank Auerbach</a></li> <li><a href="https://niagaragalleries.com.au/ken-whisson/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ken Whisson</a></li> <li><a href="https://dhg.anu.edu.au/jack-green-stories/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jack Green (ANU art collection)</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Berger" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Berger</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/research/fowlers-gap" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fowler’s Gap Research Station – UNSW</a></li> <li><a href="https://artistprofile.com.au/badger-bates/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Badger Bates (Artist Profile magazine)</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/unquiet-landscape-christopher-neve/book/9780500295472.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christopher Neve ‘Unquiet landscape’</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgio_Morandi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Giorgio Morandi</a> </li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piero_della_Francesca" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Piero Della Francesca</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Giacometti" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alberto Giacometti</a></li> <li><a href="https://kingstreetgallery.com.au/artists/ross-laurie/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ross Laurie</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_and_Thou" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Martin Buber – ‘I and Thou’</a></li> </ul> Gallipoli Evening, 2013, acrylic and collage on board, 130 x 120cm Winner Gallipoli Art Prize 2014 Evening Tide 2020, acrylic &amp; collage on aluminium, 141 x 151cm Image courtesy of the artist and King Street Gallery on William Afternoon to Evening Fowlers Gap 2009 acrylic &amp; collage on board 120 x 110cm Image courtesy of the artist and King Street Gallery on William Somewhere in France 2 2017 acrylic &amp; collage on aluminium 151 x 141cm Image courtesy of the artist and King Street Gallery on William Works in progress which we talk about in the podcast episode at about 1hr 12mins Work in progress which we talk about in the podcast at about 1hr 22mins