Brendan Murphy’s paintings speak to his generation- a generation faced with the threat of terrorism, ever-changing relationships and the progression of technology.  Brendan’s paintings aim to go a bit deeper than the surface.  His paintings intend to go beyond what we see and hear and instead focus on what we feel.  Brendan’s paintings go through a unique, yet involved process.  Each painting derives from a photo he has taken either as a random snapshot or during a pre-conceived photo shoot.  The photo is then broken down into its purest form, creating a stamp or silhouette of the original subject.  At this point the painting begins.

The “Women” series
Relationships have changed over the last twenty years, how we interact, how we love, the evolution of marriage, etc.  Relationships have become very complex and difficult to make work.  Outside pressures and social interaction has changed dramatically in the last decades.  Each painting in the “Women” series intends to explore this change, while giving special attention to the subtle elements that are the fundamentals of relationships.  Using the female figure as a foundation for his paintings, Brendan creates the building blocks of beauty, the composition of complete love.  He incorporates the shapes of his model’s bodies, expressions and movement, into his paintings in order to evoke this passion.  In his own words, “I am determined to bring hopefulness and vitality to the forefront of my work.” 

The “City” series
In a post 9/11world, the threat of terrorism has created an air of tension and fear within our cities and towns.  There is a tremendous focus on the negative.  Brendan’s paintings highlight the opposite- they show the positive vibrant emotions that are still prevalent in the city.  Each piece is designed to create a mood.  He tries to go beyond the gray numbing down of our social landscape and brings color and feelings front and center.

The “Journey” series
Each “Journey” painting projects an emotional process of thought and repeated patterns while creating a hypnotic mood.  Through the use of various shading and coloration, repeated thoughts and ideas, the emotional journey is evoked. These paintings capture the essence of what we feel when we have fallen in love for the first time or are longing for a loved one.

Brendan\'s paintings are almost tactile. There is a large amount of texture and visible layering of paint.  His canvases are built up so the work does not appear as just flat paint on the surface.  His compositions as a whole are very well thought out and each brushstroke is calculated for perfection.

Brendan Murphy was born in Bloomington, Indiana in 1971 and raised in Providence, R.I. He currently lives and works in Southampton, NY.  His work has been exhibited at the Heidi Cho Gallery, NY, Matthew/Travis Gallery, Houston, TX, and the Consortium for the Arts, Charlottesville, VA.