The Reward of Illusion
Anamorphic Art
SMILES - 2021
New permanent work at the PepsiCo Headquarters in Purchase, NY. Watch a Timelapse of its construction.
Michael refers to his style of art-making as Perceptual Art. His technique, with a primary emphasis on the viewer’s perception, is best described as illusions of images rendered in three-dimensional space.
See
The way we perceive things depends on our point of view. For Michael Murphy, the final product of his artwork is not the artwork itself but rather the viewing experience. From multiple angles, his art transforms into different images that will challenge your perspective on everything from political issues to art. Take a few moments to watch as each piece transforms.
Oh! The Things You'll See! - 2021
This Dr. Seuss sculpture is currently on view as part of The Dr. Seuss Experience at Water Tower Place in Chicago.
Climate Change is Real
This piece is made up of many suspended coins (Change). Walking around one side, you will see the coins spell out the word “Climate.” As you move around the sculpture to the opposite side, you see a jumble of coins finally spell out the word “Real.” It is a bit of a pun, a puzzle. Murphy’s works tap into current issues and engage the audience to work to experience the message. (watch video)
Polina - 2022
At the onset of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Polina and her parents were forced to flee Ukraine, leaving their home, school, and careers behind. This image of her was captured shortly after she and her family arrived in Germany in March 2022. This work is about movement, migration, and how criminal political parties and their wars affect innocent families. This 3D halftone sculpture consists of 2,316 wood parts.
NO WAR - 2022
A new multidirectional illusion sculpture composed of several hundred children’s toys and 3D printed parts. It is meant to serve as a protest against all war. In addition, the use of the toys is intended to draw attention to the way they are used to indoctrinate and propagandize children and normalize war.
Say
I create these objects and installations that are vehicles of information. I try to make them as interesting and beautiful as possible to engage audiences. -Murphy
How do you feel Murphy’s communication to the viewer differs from a speech or a static painting?
What role do you feel the viewer's effort plays in the impact of his work?
Do
Create an Agamograph! Also known as a Lenticular, an agamograph is an art form that uses optical illusion to create that changes when you look at it from different angles.
Watch to learn about the waste picker project.
About the Artist: Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy is an American artist and designer known for his Perceptual Art. He lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He studied sculpture at Kent State University in Ohio and received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Michael refers to his style of art-making as Perceptual Art. His technique, with a primary emphasis on the viewer’s perception, is best described as illusions of images rendered in three-dimensional space.
What’s his process? Excerpt from' A Conversation With Michael Murphy, Whose “Perceptual Art” Must Be Seen to Be Believed’ (Inside Hook)
Speaking broadly regarding your process, what does it look like from soup to nuts?
My process typically begins with an idea or a concept of some information that I want to communicate or a specific technical challenge that I want to try to accomplish. I basically meditate on that idea for a while and imagine in my mind what the artwork could look like. I typically will build the entire artwork out just in my head so that I know exactly what it’s going to look like and exactly where everything is going to go. And through this process, I can typically understand what the experience is going to be like for the viewer.
After I meditate on that for a while and kind of do that fabrication in my head, I then move to the computer and I’ll create flat graphics in some graphic editing software, then move into 3D from there and fabricate the piece on the computer to get it looking exactly right. And then there’s spreadsheets, CAD drawings, and things like that. They get extracted from the 3D models. Sometimes we fabricate the pieces in my studio, and then a lot of times, we have other fabricators in various locations around the world fabricate specific components of the artwork.
Michael Murphy's Santa Monica solo exhibition Perceptual Shift opens to the public on December 8, 2022.
Click here for tickets and additional info.
Follow on Instagram: perceptual_art
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