Collage artist Jennifer Murphy’s most recent project, The Shadow of Sirus, seeks to connect elements in our natural world in surrealistic ways. She describes the project as “wedding the specimens of the naturalist with the visions of the fantasist.” The artist explained her process:
“I collect used books and cut out the photographic images to make the collages. There is a quality of chance in the work related to finding the used books and also an acknowledgment to using recycled materials. They are sewn together and are not on a ground like a canvas. I float them away from the gallery wall wills pins to show their materiality and fragility. This also makes them more like sculptural collage. I also do work with actual objects from nature in other works.
“Although I have worked in collage since I was a child, I really began to explore large-scale, sculptural collage after the death of a dear friend and close collaborator ten years ago. This series comes at another time of loss, both personal and I believe collective. We now live in a time of ecological mourning and are in desperate need for paths to rediscover hope.”
– Jennifer Murphy
I definitely get her sense of mourning and loss in her pieces, but I also find them hopeful and peaceful to look upon.
You can check out all of Jennifer Murphy’s art on her website.
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My OBT 
November 9, 2019 at 8:10 am
Interesting and time consuming.both for her collecting and our looking to discover.
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November 10, 2019 at 11:22 am
I love that the collages are made up of photographs of the items. I guess that way she can play with scale and color, too. So interesting!
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November 9, 2019 at 9:20 am
WOW — this is rare. I would have ANY one of them in my house. Donna hit a home run this time 🙂 I took a long time trying to decide if all of them were 2D or 3D. The birds/fish are not real etc. But it makes no difference and I stand by my choice to have any one of them in my home. Hal
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November 10, 2019 at 11:22 am
I agree 100%! I love them all.
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November 9, 2019 at 10:32 am
Simply glorious!
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November 10, 2019 at 11:27 am
We live on the water and spend a lot of time collecting the things we find. As a result, our house is full of… well… stuff. Shells, beach glass, rocks, bottles. This artist is inspiring me to photograph them rather than taking them home.
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November 10, 2019 at 1:55 pm
Inspired!
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November 9, 2019 at 2:11 pm
These are spectacular. Such an innovative approach to collage.
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November 10, 2019 at 11:27 am
I think so, too!
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November 9, 2019 at 2:23 pm
Very special way to create collages, Donna. I do really like them 🙂
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November 10, 2019 at 11:28 am
I want to try them myself!
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November 9, 2019 at 4:26 pm
Oh, these are just fabulous!
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November 10, 2019 at 11:29 am
So fun! I need to examine them up close.
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November 13, 2019 at 8:58 am
Hi Donna, thank you for this. I just want to clarify my process. I collect used books and cut out the photographic images to make the collages. There is a quality of chance in the work related to finding the used books and also an acknowledgment to using recycled materials. They are sewn together and are not on a ground like a canvas. I float them away from the gallery wall wills pins to show their materiality and fragility. This also makes them more like sculptural collage. I also do work with actual objects from nature in other works.
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November 13, 2019 at 9:50 am
How fascinating! I love your process. I’ve never heard of anything like it. I’m sorry that I missed that you used images from old books, but honestly, that’s even cooler!
Thank you so much for the visit and the clarification!
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