Skidmore Contemporary presents a solo exhibition titled “Radiance,” featuring the art of Courtney Murphy!
See image: Courtney Murphy, Vermilion, 2016, oil on panel, 36″ x 48″
Courtney Murphy’s dramatic and elegant paintings of women are rendered with exceptional technical skill. Her canvases depict intimate snapshots of women adorned in billowing fabrics. The figures occupy the space with a kinetic energy, and the rich colors and warm, soft lighting imbue her images dramatically. The rhythmic movement within Murphy’s paintings culminates in her depiction of the figures’ textiles, which she compares to “flowing water” for the way that they “shine and move in waves over the figure.”
Kelly Bertrando, July 2015
‘R
adiance describes the emotion of the women, how they radiate who they are. It’s less of an outer beauty and more about the energy and enjoyment that they’re having,” Murphy says. “The light and atmosphere is so important to my spaces, as are my subjects, who can be one character and many characters. I want my viewers to relate to each one of them, which is why I focus on the energy in the feet and the hands. I wanted to challenge myself by showing that much emotion without showing a face. They’re not necessarily dancers; they’re everywoman, embracing who they are.”
See image: Courtney Murphy, Stream, 2016, oil on panel, 48″ x 36″
On view: April 30 – June 11, 2016
Where: Skidmore Contemporary Art, Bergamot Station 2525 Michigan Avenue, B-4 Santa Monica, 90404
Phone: 310-828-5070
Website: http://www.skidmorecontemporaryart.com
