Idris Murphy: Backblocks (live at the S.H.Ervin Gallery)

Last Thursday I was thrilled to speak with Idris Murphy, leading contemporary artist and a previous podcast guest, in front of a live audience at the S.H.Ervin Gallery in Sydney.

It’s where the survey exhibition of his work, ‘Idris Murphy: Backblocks’ is now showing and continues until 26 March 2023. Curated by Terence Maloon, it features breathtaking work predominantly from the last two decades. Paintings which shimmer, glow, and transport the viewer. 

Idris talked with me about his career including the stories behind several works, the influence indigenous culture has had on his approach and how he works in the studio.

Although this exhibition is impressive in its quality and depth, this isn’t the first survey show of Idris’s work. The exhibition ‘I and Thou’ in 2009/2010 had highlighted the preceding 30 years of work.

He has exhibited in over 40 solo shows over the years with work in major public collections including  the National Gallery of Australia and Art Gallery of NSW.

Thanks to everyone who came along! 

I also filmed our conversation and will be uploading an edited version of this chat to the TWP YouTube channel in the coming months.

Idris is represented by King Street Gallery in Sydney.

Photo of Idris Murphy in his studio (2022) by me

Current exhibition

‘Idris Murphy: Backblocks’, S.H.Ervin Gallery, Sydney, until 26 March 2023

Links

• Idris Murphy’s website
• Idris Murphy at King Street Gallery
• Previous podcast interview with Idris Murphy: Episode 131
• Henri Matisse
• Clip of the American writer I refer to in the episode at about 6:40 – Etel Adnan – on beauty 
• Susan Sontag – ‘On Photography’
• Jeanette Winterson
• Annie Dillard
• Rose Wylie
• John Berger  The quote we refer to is from his book ‘and our faces, my heart, as brief as photos’
• Bono – ‘Surrender’
• Nick Cave
• Badger Bates
• Tickets to Artist Talk with Nick Stathopoulos at AGNSW
• Subscribe to the TWP monthly newsletter 

Installation photo – S.H.Ervin Gallery (see below for individual works)

‘Somewhere in France 1’, 2017, acrylic and collage on aluminium, 151 x 141cm

ANU Art Collection

‘Somewhere in France 2’, 2017, acrylic and collage on aluminium, 151 x 141cm

ANU Art Collection

‘Somewhere in France 3’, 2017, acrylic and collage on aluminium, 151 x 141cm

ANU Art Collection

‘Half Moon at the New’, 2015, acrylic on aluminium, 153 x 153cm

Courtesy of the artist and King Street Gallery

‘Weipa Harbour Storm’, 2005, acrylic and collage on board, 120 x 120cm

‘Low tide Boodery National Park’, 2015, acrylic and collage on board, 150 x 150cm

Private collection