VIBRANT MATTER - Fossil treasures reflected by the international artist Shannon Murphy
Colours and structures of petrified wood on large-format canvas - Exhibition from 12 September 2017 at the Museum für Naturkunde - Inspiring the dialogue between art and nature
Inspired by the variety of colours and shapes of petrified wood, the international artist Shannon Alexander Murphy developed his artistic interpretations. Using acrylic paints, the artist transfers the structures preserved in the petrified wood onto oversized canvases measuring around 5 x 3 metres. The challenge here is to interpret the colourful and structural complexity of the plant material witnesses that have turned to stone using contemporary art methods. The six artworks will be presented from 12 September onwards on the museum floor with a view of the Tietz atrium.
Inspiring the dialogue between art and nature
Art and science are sometimes seen as mutually exclusive spheres. Traditionally, the subjects are taught separately in schools and academies. More is needed to prepare young people for a data-soaked and interdisciplinary working life in the 21st century. Combining art with science and science with art in a sustainable way could be a solution. Science teaches us to formulate hypotheses, test them using various methods, interpret the results and find valid conclusions. Art teaches us to develop arguments, to question our own point of view and to respect the opinions of others. The project aims to reduce the barriers between art and science and encourage an open dialogue.
As a result, approaches to artistic representation and interpretation should merge with those of scientific analysis and description of geological features.
In addition to the artworks, fossil treasures that were kindly donated to the Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz by Leipzig collector Gerhard Bertram in 2016 will also be on display for the first time as part of the project.
Customised museum education programmes, made possible with the support of Globalfoundries, aim to build a bridge between art and science.
Shannon Alexander Murphy
Murphy has been producing artworks for various institutions for over 15 years, including the German Federal Cultural Foundation, Berlin City Hall, Google Inc, the Cultural Department of the French Embassy, the Chambers of Commerce in Tokyo and Milan and many other international organisations as well as for magazines such as Time Magazine, The Financial Times New York, First Post Global News, The New York Observer, Celebrity Networth, Artforum Magazine, Australian Art Review, SbS Television, Architectural Digest International, The AGE and The Herald & Weekly Times & MX magazine.
His first solo exhibition was at Deakin University, Melbourne (Bed Relations) in 1999, followed by further exhibitions at Open Mind Gallery, Milan (Humans in Conflict, 2005), Barcelona (Landscape Interventions, 2006) and The Red Centre, Sydney (The Arms Race, 2010). Recent solo exhibitions include The Boat Exploration, shown at the Natural History Museum in Jena, Germany, 2010, and a series of Dinner Party - with the participation of Maggie Beer at A.R.T. Dog House Joni Waka's in Tokyo, Japan.
Murphy captures these highly diverse studies on the large-format canvas with an intense acrylic colour palette and rich brushwork, developing a characteristic signature. On a predominantly abstract background, he assembles outlines and patterns - sometimes with an aggressive touch - that reveal a tendency towards abstraction despite a fundamental commitment to the figurative tradition; an oscillation between these two poles.
Further links:
Example of a work of art: https://1drv.ms/i/s!AjTzntMSGlDUjXSwYxm57QStCFmZ
Website of the artist: http://www.shannonalexandermurphy.com/deutsch,
Globalfoundries website: https://www.globalfoundries.com