Interview
John Murray
John Murray is an artist from Australia. He has an Associate Diploma in Fine Art from Seaforth TAFE, and a Bachelor in Fine Art from the College of Fine Art Paddington, UNSW, Australia. He has also studied printmaking and education at the Southern Cross University in Lismore, Australia.
John enjoys painting landscapes consisting mostly watercolor on paper. He paints from real life, as he doesn’t like to use photographs or rely on memory.
For John, the creation of these paintings is in some ways a form of meditation on landscape and life. Though it may be time consuming, John views painting as a process that allows him time with nature and a chance to examine the chatter of his internal dialogue. It also helps him expunge some of the over-stimulation associated with modern living.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I left school during an economic recession. I didn’t know what to do, but I was encouraged to pursue art because I was good at it, and there were very few jobs available at the time. I think you have to find your own reasons to make art. If you need a reason, you must find it yourself. That is another artwork you must make, one that informs all the others.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“I paint landscapes, so I don’t comment on current issues as such. Generally, I feel there’s already enough about people out there, and so I’d rather concentrate on other things. I go to the place I want to paint and paint my pictures from life so that I can see my subject in the greatest detail; infinite detail. Indigenous folks say that all the earth is sacred. I guess I’m trying to open myself up to what is sacred. So I try and paint what I see and be as true to what I see as I can. I know I will fail—that I cannot paint an infinitely detailed picture for you—but I know also that I’m not in any way limited by my subject. That goes on and on forever in terms of beauty and complexity.”
“It’s an unusual experience to sit by yourself each day for a few weeks, observing the same patch of forest. I originally did it just because I wanted the painting. But after doing it many times, I’ve become just as interested in the changes taking place in my own awareness from this process.”
Which current art world trends are you following?
“I’m not really looking to art trends because they’re so diverse and I don’t want to be chasing a crowd. I don’t feel like following, nor do I see my personal growth coming from a guru, the land can teach you things and I would like to know those things. I was born to this earth; to spend my working life sitting quietly and studying it seems entirely appropriate to me. Through this I’m learning important things, deep things.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“I choose the subject and then set up and start, so there’s plan and improvisation involved in equal measure. A little of both.”
What process, materials, techniques, etc., do you use to create your artwork?
“I use oil paint on board or canvas, or water color on paper.”
What does your art mean to you?
“My work means that I existed, and that I tried to be observant and appreciate this world into which I've been born.”
What’s your favorite artwork and why?
“This is a very hard question. There are too many possible answers for me to be able to really get behind any single one. I love sincerity in art, when I see that quality in a work, I feel all my hairs stand up and I feel like crying, I feel an emotional release. A friend used to say to me ‘this life is life and death, and I don’t play games’. I like artworks that have that desperate awareness, that courage contained in them. Making art is a very safe activity, but some people are always on the edge and it’s always dangerous for them. They’re sincere enough to know what life is, how dangerous it is—a thin film above an abyss; a temporary opportunity to do something or try and take something in, and then it’s gone.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I was a winner of the NSW Art Gallery (AGNSW) Wynne landscape prize for watercolor. It was a big thing to see my work hung in that gallery, the same space as Picasso or Australia’s most famous painters. The AGNSW holds an amazing competition each year that fills its walls with beautiful paintings, and I was very proud to be part of that exhibition. You can read about it here. ”
Website: www.Sowsearsilk.com
Instagram: @johnfrancismurray
