Niamh Murphy

Bio

Niamh Murphy is a visual artist who was born and based in Cork County who graduated in 2017 from Crawford College of Art and Design with a B.A. in Fine Art. She was awarded and is currently completing the Analogue Photography Residency with Crawford College of Art and Design. Pervious exhibitions that she has participated in include ‘SOFT’ at The Gallery at No.46, part of the MAKE symposium 2018, ‘Totem’ at Dali and Gala 2018, ‘The Present, Past’ Wandesford Quey Gallery 2017, ‘Beyond Dialogue’ Crawford College of Art and Design Degree Show 2017, ‘Murmuration’ in Village Hall 2016, and ‘Reconnect’ at C.I.T. 2015.

She specializes in pinhole photography, developing work based on this process, creating pinhole cameras and using this form of capturing light as an enquiry into current photographic theory/practice and the photographs place in contemporary visual language. She explores the medium of film photography through 35ml film and large format 5 by 4 film.

Artist Statement

The work explores the structures that surround us, in the physical form of building’s, which make up our external landscape, and the internal structures that are embedded in our understanding of society and ourselves. Through pinhole photography the relationship between a certain representation of society and its accurate role in our lives is questioned. Pinhole as a form of exploring these structures also provides an inquiry into photographic sensibility, pairing back technical aspects of the process to just using light, optics and photosensitive material.

Regarding analogue photography as an absolute, because of the myth that the ‘camera doesn’t lie’, questions the idea of truth itself and truth within visual language. Within the current general idea of post truth personal perspective has become the new fact, and the authoritive structures we rely on in society to provide comfort and stability start to lack permanency.

Through experimentation of darkroom processes and traditional analogue methods and developing an understanding of these processes in a contemporary context has developed my practice to a new place. Therefore darkroom practice itself is essential in my practice.

Instagram @niamhmurphyart

Email niamhmurphyart@gmail.com

Membership: Darkroom