Richard Murdock
“My work incorporates disparate elements that can be, at first, confusing. I begin with visual effects, contrasts in color and form, and the rhythm and patterns created by shapes. Then I might contrast this with the linear horizon of an almost infinite landscape. Finally, close-up the assemblage appears monumental, almost surreal, like a Magritte or a Dali. But my intent is not to be humorous or clever, in the same way as these artists, but to offer a sort of meditation on forms and colors removed from their literal associations.
These paintings challenge the still life genre altogether. But many categories of art are loose, incorporating landscapes, figures and objects. In this work, I am influenced both by Giuseppe Arcimboldo and late 19th century symbolism. Here, I intend to evoke another world. Yet the objects are specific, allowing the viewer to focus on the particular. In this contrast between the real and the imagined, the familiar and the strange, one can linger in ways that are impossible with the fleeting nature of dreams.”
