Tuesday, December 6, 2011

#108 Dylan Murphy

Dylan Murphy, Ivy Crown, Photograph (2010)


Ivy Crown, a photograph measuring 12.5 by 10 cm, is part of a larger collection of self-portraits by Illinois artist Dylan Jeffery Murphy. The faux Polaroid, sometimes referred to as a fauxlaroid, contains digitally reproduced marks and borders to have the image resemble the product of an instant film camera.

The bearded face, long hair and pronounced collarbones – traits found in many of the artist’s self-portraits – are characteristics of a Christ figure. The lighting is soft and it looks as if Murphy, just moments ago, paused and closed his eyes. It is a relief to see that the crown is made of ivy, not thorns.

Like much of Murphy’s work, the print is digitally manipulated and staged. And yet, the small size, the faux medium and the almost snapshot-like quality produce a very personal and unfailing quality of a moment that may or may not have happened.
Murphy is a recent graduate (2010) of the Arts in Cinema and Photography program at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). He is the recipient of the Paul Harum Memorial Award (2009) and the Kodak Professional Imaging Award (SIUC). The artist lives and works in Bloomington, Indiana.

Sources:
Murphy, Dylan. “Resume.” Dylan Murphy Photography. n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2011.
Murphy, Dylan. Personal interview. 7 Dec. 2011. 

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