Internal Reflection | Brendan Murphy 2019

             His head bobbing to music blasting through headphones, a splatter of paint goes here, an outline on a circle goes there, a word placed to finish an equation in the middle, and voilà; Brendan Murphy takes a step back to survey his completed work. It is just a mere day before a show. What may seem like a chaotic way to work to some, is quite the opposite to Murphy; thoughtfully planned, he lets the paintings evolve and flow quite like the lyrics on his favorite playlist. Working on creative endeavors in this manner, his paintings and sculptures take on the very nature of our thought processes. He puts in the pieces his own thoughts, mood, and worldly perspective for that day, much like all humans wake up and explore their own life with constant shifting energies.

            Internal Reflection dictates not only Murphy’s own personal exploration through his series, but also how he chose the media, symbolism, and word play to connect to his audience. Each of the pieces seek to unravel the human condition in an individual manner: chrome paint reflects the viewer’s expression back to them as they contemplate, venn-diagrams pose possible relationships between strong innate emotions, positive affirmations play through the words sparking optimism. Thematically, Murphy presents the internal calculations of the brain when making major life decisions in formulas and equations with no distinct beginning or end. Each representation reads differently to each person; however, they can connect everyone with the greater experience of just being simply, human. Murphy desires to create a positive occurrence of catharsis, provoking desires to manifest a brighter future and venture beyond the realm of “normal” boundaries.

            Murphy’s newest works are being exclusively showcased at Contessa Gallery’s Cleveland location from July 26-August 25, a thought provoking, heartwarming venture of magnitude proportions that will be the highlight of the art world this summer.