Molly Frances Murphy

My current work deals with cycles of life and death as they exist in the interconnected systems between humans and the natural world. Shared Biology is an ongoing series of abstract landscapes intertwining lush plant life and waterways with lines of human interventions. This series was born of my own anxieties about adherence to prescribed social systems and anthropogenic existence. With suggestions of artificially drawn boundaries obscured within tangled and overlapping patterns, the line between existence and memory is blurred.

Beginning with broad brushed glazes, layers of free-flowing lines and marks move over and under masked borders inviting the viewer to consider the movements of growth and decay within the spaces we occupy. In some works, fence-like structures weave together out of overgrowth and vines. In others, twisting plow lines and bright patches of construction orange cut through pastoral shades of green. These works push an uncomfortable beauty and vibrancy, while considering our very short time in this place and what we will leave behind.

Alongside a rigorous studio practice, Molly has been a leader in the Lawrence community, dedicating time to art collectives, public projects, curation, and arts-based volun...

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:

Relation – Cider Gallery Fine Arts, Lawrence, KS 2016

Lawrence Arts Center Invitational Art Auction – Lawrence Arts Center, Lawrence, KS 2016

Mind-Body Entente – UMKC Gallery of Art, Kansas City, MO 2016

Rotation, group show – Cider Gallery Fine Arts, Lawrence, KS 2015-16

Recent Works – Culinaria, Lawrence, KS 2015

Free State Festival Outdoor Installation: Short-term PARKing – Downtown Lawrence, Lawrence, KS 2015

United Nations Association Women’s Conference, featured artist, Kansas City, MO 2015

Pachamamas Artists Final Exhibition - Pachamamas, Lawrence, KS 2015

Lawrence Arts Center Invitational Auction – Lawrence Arts Center, Lawrence, KS 2015

LOLA Spring Showcase – Lawrence, KS 2015

Cider Gallery Artists Group Show – Lawrence, KS 2014

Lawrence Arts Center Invitational Auction – Lawrence Arts Center, Lawrence, KS 2014

Recent Works: Eliza Bullock and Molly Murphy - Cider Gallery Fine Art, Lawrence, KS 2014

Selected Drawings – Black Wagon, Portland, OR 2013

Greater Kansas – Albina Press, Portland, OR 2013

Lawrence Arts Center Invitational Auction – Lawrence Arts Center, Lawrence, KS 2013

Glimpse Flash Space – Kansas City, MO 2013

Intuitive Nature: Clare Do...