Claire Murphy

Bio

Originally from Cork, Claire graduated from her Bachelors degree in Fine Art Painting at the National College of Art and Design in 2009. Her practice involved working with paint, photography and video. In 2015 she studied cinematography in BCFE specialising in 16mm film and film photography. She continued with her studies in cinematography at Napier University Edinburgh where she received her Masters in 2018. Since completing her masters Claire has been based in Glasgow where she worked on a number of short films that have been selected for numerous festivals and awards. During this time she has had an active analogue photography practice which also feeds into her film making work.

Artist Statement

By documenting observations of daily life the camera helps me capture moments of contemplation that happen between moments of action. The characters of these images are caught unaware. The camera at times is a voyeur in the room observing from a distance or behind the object. I play with the idea of narrative in the images. I want the viewer to get a sense that they are seeing something that is from a larger narrative, a moment that wasn’t intended to be seen. I am interested in how we experience the ordinary and then by seeing it instead of experiencing it, the ‘ordinary’ can become strange and important.

Using analogue is particularly important for the work. Film as a medium is slow, allowing for a more focused act of looking and the hands-on process of making the image. I am interested in the imperfections of the image that can only happen with film. The heavy grain and scratches on the surface. I want the work to almost resemble paintings through its texture. Much of the colours I use are heavy and dark, I’m interested in pushing the light with the camera to its limit. Underexposed or overexposed can create a texture and form that feels very much like paint. I’m interested in how these images are created by the imprint of light itself and through the manipulation of the camera the colour intensity, and lines are affected.

Membership: Studio