A RT S & C U LT U R E F E AT U R E
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ADAM MURRAY IS ONE OF OUR REGION’S MOST DEXTEROUS AND WELL KNOWN ARTISTS; HIS TECHNIQUE IS EVER CHANGING, RICH WITH CHARISMA AND WILL LEAVE YOU WONDERING … THIS MONTH IN FOCUS WE PROFILED ADAM AS PART OF OUR ARTS AND CULTURE FEATURE …
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and the cat seems to suit these things. The movement ou’re no stranger to our local creative scene, having featured of their spine and the direction of their legs can be in one way or another at most pushed in unrealistic directions. And it’s always fun to events held. What do you love add breasts and hips and other things. They just sort most about our region’s growing of combined and worked, and I’m sticking with it … creative community? For now. It’s great - from the local council to the Glasshouse, Your staple colour palette has also certainly local artists and smaller galleries. This town is changed in a year - brighter hues in the becoming even more colourful - starting to see more foreground with dark features and undertones, street art around, as well as the local art events of the which creates a very moody feel. What has last few years. There’s a tight arts community here in inspired this? Port Macquarie, and we’re all helping each For years I normally used primary colours, other. It’s special. a very bright palette, mostly favouring What are some of the events blue/orange and red/green. And like t you’ve been involved with? n’ do I , tly es on most things with creative practice, H There was Squiggle Off last know how my things have to change, move me, year; that was so much fun. su bjects come to est on and evolve. And I guess my bigg The Art Walk last month, a and I’m not the recent move to a darker palette s es I gu huge success for local art and fan of cats . But e th and darker tones is a reaction it’s a reflection of I’ve artists. I’ve done live painting ch hi w to my past colours. There was female form , at the Pier on Clarence, the a point where I looked back at working on for en be Artist Markets, Festival of the my work and thought my colours years now.” Sun and Sounds on Sunset Music had to change/shift. Subject and Festivals. Recently Mel Casey and imagery was progressive, but they I just finished painting a wall outside were all the same colours. I’m lucky to Arthouse Industries (cnr Murray St and receive left over house paint from friends. It’s Sunset Parade), for cancer fundraiser “If We All these unfamiliar colours that have made it more Had Wings”. interesting for me. It was only 12 months ago when we last Painting for me is a constant testing and discovery caught up with you about your art. Since then process. I truly believe contrast is a very important you’ve moved from women, to felines with
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womanly features, and now a lot of your work revolves around the felines solely … Tell us about that transition. Honestly, I don’t know how my subjects come to me, and I’m not the biggest fan of cats. But I guess it’s a reflection of the female form, which I’ve been working on for years now. It’s the cat’s body and how they move that I find interesting and also fun to experiment with. They’re slinky, smooth, bony and creepy. I like to stretch, exaggerate and distort form, 40 greater port macquarie focus.
part of visual art - contrast of colour and application and even contrast of extension. Like a mass of darker tones with a little touch of brighter colour, it’s complementary opposite here and there, where older work was the opposite and the darkness suits my cats. Where can our readers follow your artwork and contact you? You can find me on Instagram @adammurrayart and Facebook www.fb.com/adammurrayart. Thanks Adam.