Carolyn Murphy
Free Thinker, 2023
Cotton, linen, silk 92"w x 105"l
Something to aspire to: honest conversation, free expression, respectful and lively debate, open mindedness, the ability to listen and be heard, even when we disagree. Especially when we disagree.
Carolyn Murphy
Sidewalk Repair, 2024
cotton, linen, silk 90"w x 94" h
This work is from my "Urban Patchwork" Series, and is inspired by street art in Paris and Florence. Art is everywhere in these cities, in museums, of course, but also on abandoned buildings, in doorways, down alleys, sometimes inserted right into cracks in the sidewalk: urban decay transformed into a mosaic flash of art, right under our feet. Even the most beautiful cities in the world are better for this sneaky street art. The kind of scrappy street art I love, and the abstract textile art that I make, are connected. Patching, making do, and creating art out of humble materials is also what I do. This series is a development of that connection, an exploration of our need for art, where we live, where we work, in the streets, sunk into the pavement at our feet. We need art, we must make it and we must see it, even in intensely urban settings, where the small ring of the human voice strives to be heard over the urban din. And still, happily, the joy of artistic expression persists.
Carolyn Murphy
Late in the Evening, 2023
Cotton, linen, silk 96"h x 93"w
Creeping home from the Orbit Room, bare feet on summer sidewalks hosed clean during the hot light of day. Past the painted cement Venus de Milo, past the dark, quiet parks. The fruit stand wrapped up behind snow fencing, Kensington Market shut up tight, Honest Ed's dark and empty. Just me and the raccoons.