303 Gallery is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of British artist Stephen Murphy. Through digital manipulation, Stephen Murphy creates beautiful environments that, at first, read as faithful photographic reproductions of reality.
In the front gallery, a three-dimensional snowstorm swirls around the viewer. A continual cycle evolves from a gentle fall to a turbulent vortex. What is apparently chaotic becomes, through repetition, more ordered. Natural activities caught in formalistic terms suggest the possibility of contemplation.
In the second work on view, the projected image of an asteroid rotating in space is iconic, conforming to a conventionalized idea of asteroid appearance and behavior. While this image appears photographic, the surface and movement are described mathematically. The image cycles over 6,750 frames, allowing Murphy to create spectacle and drama without disruption.
Missile, created in collaboration with Don Brown, is a large aluminum-mounted photograph of a missile. The image of the missile is, again, completely familiar, until one realizes the impossibility of actually capturing this image photographically. The perfection of its execution celebrates the object moving at the speed of sound.
Technical design: Dan Glass