Local Art Seen: Murphy and Murphy @ Lizzard's Inspires and Delights

This past Thursday Lizzard's Art Gallery & Framing hosted a much anticipated opening reception for Murphy and Murphy. Scott Murphy is a top-notch local painter and muralist. Robin Murphy, no relation, is a sculptor who works with clay.

The show was supposed to take place a year ago. Unfortunately, Scott & Colleen Murphy's near-fatal car crash last year resulted in this one year delay. Scott Murphy has produced a new body of work partially informed by his early retirement, the aforementioned car accident and the promise of a grandchild. The get well soon balloons in his recovery room inspired the balloons in his paintings, as did some of the hallucinations he experienced in his physically broken state at that time, hallucinations in which he himself was flying. "I saw horizon lines stacked like pages in a book and watched as they turned from line to plane beneath me. The decision to come back to my bed seemed to be made in a very casual way, like reaching for a coffee cup or watching rain through a window." Now that he re-connected to the earth he states that it is important to "get things right this time."

St. Paul artist Robin Murphy's ceramic sculptures have such personality, like characters from children's books. "I am attracted to factual and fictional marrative, drama, parables, including parado, and the what ifs of life. Sometime it begins with a question, word or phrase to explore, such as vulnerability, love, loss, reflection, mischief, or 'caught in the moment of.'" As you look at the expression on these various characters you can surmise stories that swirled about in Robin Muprhy's imagination as she defined ideas with images. She states, "The malleability of clay, and the process of discovery are seductive and surprising, as the clay becomes something physical through my hands."

There were plenty fo familiar faces on hand Thursday, and the usual first-class treatment by the Lizzard's team.

I love the whimsical titles on both Murphy's works. A River Runs Through Her, Wound Up in Possibilities, "He could persiflage with the best of them!" and other titles that make you eager to hear the rest of the story in each of Robin's characters. "Disposing of conformity, he took the road," for example.

Scott's titles are equally endearing. Tornado Bird, After They Privatize the Clouds, Run Away Circus Bear and Whale with Peonies serve as examples. After the Crash is less endearing, but then, what is that hog doing, playing a guitar up on the side of the road?

The work will be on display through November 16. I would encourage you to step in and check it out if you're anyway near the center of town, a half block from the intersection of Lake Avenue and Superior Street. And while you're there, check out Shawna Gilmore's work, and all the other fun, thoughtful or stunning pieces throughout the gallery. Make a commitment to yourself and just do it.

* * * *

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Get into it.

Good News for Twin Ports Arts Scene: Esther's Blog & Other Announcements

"The Poet" Sarah Riley

If you've been a regular follower of Ennyman's Territory you will know that I've worked hard to be both an resource to find local arts as well as a journalist documenting activities here. You will also have noticed that each month I have been on the receiving end of a lot of Esther Piszczek's efforts to gather information about what's happening here. In short, though there's no official affiliation, we've worked in tandem and I have always sought to give periodic shout outs to Esther as a thank you.

For the past month or longer Esther has been striving to create a blogspace where people can go to see what is happening in the Twin Ports art scene. It's finally been birthed and is called Twin Ports Art. It contains all the same information and features of her art emails, including: Events, Art on View, Learn a Tangle, as well as separate pages for Reoccurring Events and a list of Creative Education Opportunity links.

"The Queen's Cathedral" -- Jillian Dollars

Just click on this link: TwinPortsArt.blogspot.com to access the blog. Once there, click on the box under Latest Post that reads: Art in October to access this month's art email from Esther.

Esther promises she will continue to send out the link in a monthly email, so nothing really has changed. Feel free to pass along this email and/or the Twin Ports Art link to others who might enjoy receiving this information.

* * * *
In other news, those of you on social media have noticed that every platform seems to be adding features in order to foster engagement. I'm not sure when Facebook's "My Story" started but it dawned on me recently that I might be able to use this feature to showcase "Our Story"... by which I mean, our local Twin Ports art scene story.

"Virago 4: The Witch 2" -- Chelsey Rae

I will continue to visit openings and shows. Last night I was at the Virago opening in Kruk Gallery, UWS and Lizzard's opening reception for Murphy & Murphy. The images on this post are from last night, though I will cover them more fully in the next few days. Virago, the title of the Kruk show, means, "a domineering, violent, or bad-tempered woman." Synonyms include harridan, shrew, dragon, termagant, vixen, fishwife, witch, hellcat, she-devil, tartar, martinet, spitfire and more. The archaic definition might be, "a woman of masculine strength or spirit, a female warrior."

This show was curated by Annie Dugan, who was dressed in her usual cheerful countenance. Recommended: Google the Kruk hours and make a way to visit sometime this month.

If I had begun "My Story" I could have given a short glimpse of these events while they were happening.

We'll see. No promises.

* * * *

Scott Murphy is back. Check out this new show at Lizzard's
featuring Scott's paintings and ceramic sculpture by Robin Murphy.

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Get into it.

Local Art Seen: Robin Murphy and the Clay Show in Duluth

Gatherer by Barb Broadwell

Nine days ago I shared images from the Possession Show, which will be on display in the Morrison Gallery at the Depot till November 2, and Canvas of Flesh. This past Thursday the Duluth Art Institute (DAI) held the opening reception for its three current shows, which included Robin Murphy's New Work in the Steffl Gallery.

Robin Murphy lives in Bayfield, on the south shore of Lake Superior. This truly great lake inspires artists on all of its shores, from Thunder Bay down through Grand Marais to the tip here in the Twin Ports and on to points east in Wisconsin. Little hideaways like Cornucopia and Oulu and Madeline Island are rich with arts expression.

Murphy received her M.F.A. from the Cranbrook Academy of Art and has taught here at the University of Minnesota, Duluth among other places. Like much of our local talent, their work has a far great reach than simply this region.

Robin Murphy's New Work

Evidently the past few years have proven to be a time of transition for her. When I found her artist statement on her website, it seemed to make a good to introduce you to what her current work is about. You'll want to be sure to check it out. In person it's simply wonderful. Thank you, Robin, for sharing yourself here at the DAI.

The Explanation

My work has undergone major transitions the past two years, from functional ceramics to animal and figurative sculpture. I have always been interested in sculptural work but didn't know where to begin. It's difficult to try something new when you have achieved a certain level of success with your present artistic direction.

The initial animal pieces were simple silhouettes resting in pot-like forms and highly decorated. Once I decided to abandon the pot and just make the animals/figures, a new door opened artistically for me. Function and decoration were no longer the issue, it was now about the animals/figures and how they exist as objects in contemporary society; what are they doing, asking, implying. Those questions became the basis for investigation.

Perplexing Endeavors

Each piece presents a range of didactic possibilities. How the work exists sculpturally as a 3-dimensional piece is layered with the emotional response posture, gaze, surface treatment, etc., suggests. How to marry the particular animal or figurative form with this myriad of possibilities is the challenge. The reward begins at that extraordinary moment of recognition within the clay, whether intended or something surprisingly different, but you see it and work with it to completion; then, give it to the world and begin again.

Meantime, art goes on all around you. Engage it!