5 Questions with Rebecca Murphy

I first saw one of Rebecca's paste ups was at Pastemodernism 3 at (dont' say you weren't warned people) The Outpost.

Stunning, captivating & breathtaking to the naked eye.  But once behind the lens and entirely new world of beautiful creativity involving a complexity of fibrous tissues in an almost self-portraiture mode was to be found.

Since that time I have loved watching each of her works come to life, to the point of actually being fortunate enough to have received a stunning little hand painted choker which rather than wearing, I simply framed.  

Here are my 5 questions with Rebecca Murphy

When did the artist within begin to emerge

I've always been creative and felt the drive to express myself creatively, but if I had to pinpoint a moment, I'd probably say when i was in 2nd Grade, so around the age of 6 or 7.

I was dealing with some traumatic events at the time, and on one particular day I was pulled out class to see a counsellor.  

She wasn't the first, so I had the caution of a child going to see the principal.  But she (the counsellor) was different, because after introducing herself, she gave me some cool crayons (those ones that looked like pencils and you twisted the bottom to make more come out....remember those?) and a sheet of paper and told me I could draw anything I wanted.

No need to rush back to class, no interrogation, no sense of judgement.  Just drawing whatever I wanted and then at some point she started asking about what I was drawing, to try this type of blue and how's life?

When I was done drawing she told me I could go to lunch early and I asked her why she hadn't asked me the kind of questions I'd been asked before.  She explained that art helped to express things you weren't aware of and my drawing told her all sorts of things about me.

That was a revelation and this new idea fascinated me.  I really loved art, but this is when I really started to think about what I was creating.

Upon reflection, are you able to pinpoint or estimate a time when the style that you are now known for came in to being, or for you, is it still a work in progress (so to speak)

It started coming into being as far back as 2001.  Just occasionally in a pose or hair detail or some other signature element like tiny ears, but it didn't really solidify until late 2007.  I'd like to think it's a continually evolving living thing.

Would you have ever believed that the girl from the Gong would go on to become known so nationally AND internationally to the current level?

My first instinct was to say "Yes! Of course!", but if I'm honest, I don't really think about it like that.  It doesn't quite register because I have so many  more things I want to achieve, so much more to do.

When I do take a beat and look at what's happened in the last 5 years, it is a bit of a shock.  And I have so many people to thank for my success so far, sincerely and with all my heart.

You've done quite a few collaborative pieces.  Which would be your most treasured so far?

It's a hard choice, but the most treasured would be the screen-print collaboration I did with Ben Neoh for the THINK Exhibition at Whitebox Gallery. It was the first work I'd created specifically to be screen-printed and completely different way of approaching a piece.  It pushed me out of my comfort-zone just a little and everything that expands my horizons is something I treasure. 

this is not the collaborative work described above, but from Painting Grounds 2011

where the 2095 had been invited to do Preview Shots

You are incredibly generous with your time (eg: answering copious questions from the 2095'er), do you ever feel the need to close the door for a while and simply be "Rebecca", to then emerge re-energised and full of creativity?

Haha, well it's my pleasure!  Yes definitely. I've always been a bit of a loner and need that solo recharge time.

It's one of the reasons I work from my own studio and why I prefer painting at night: the quiet and the solitude allows me to really immerse myself in what I'm doing without being concerned that I'm ignoring someone or something.

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With that the 2095 chick says thank you to Bec for sharing some of her time and her story.  A fan the 2095 surely is, and I am sure those who weren't will now become.

Rebecca Murphy