Monday, April 5, 2010

Murphy Adams: A Brief History of Me in 20 Pictures (based on a true story)

A few weeks back I did a little presentation as part of Kaleid Gallery's $2. Tuesday Quirky Lecture Series. I knew I just couldn't go up there and talk about my work so I decided to use this old overhead projector that my husband hauled home and do some drawings on transparencies. Although I was quite nervous, I thought for sure I would pee my pants, but it went over pretty well. Anyways a few people have asked that I put it up on my blog...so here goes! Hope you like it....its very informative. Please let me know what you think!

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be an artist

or the fastest runner in the world. Sometimes I would run as far and as fast as I could. I got lost alot.

I went to Catholic School when there were still nuns. The Sisters of Mercy (dun,dun, dun)

My real name is Mary, but my father thought it too plain for a girl like me so he called me Murphy

At school there were 2 other Mary's in my class, so using my middle name the nuns called me Mary-Lea.

The refused to call me Murphy. They said it was a drunk Irishman's name (I think they were referring to Father Murphy.

The nuns used to hit me in the fingers with a ruler if they caught me drawing in class.

I once drew a picture of my teacher who we called Muffin (she was old and puffy) and our principal who we called Beaver (she had buck teeth) and I got a spanking on my bare butt bootie in the cloak room.

After they let me out of Catholic school I went to public school. My art teacher there thought I was pretty special. But then I found out he had married a couple of his former students once they graduated Ewwww.

I went to art school in the 80's. Art then was about light and space and nothing interesting. I didn't get it or fit in. It made me feel insecure about my work.

I finished college and became a gallery director and curator. I only did art in secret.

I got married...to a bad man

Then I replaced him with a good man (he's not really Canadian)

We live a simple happy life filled with art & nature & pets & laughter. We had 2 babies who grew up to be artists in their own right.

Along the way I tried many jobs to keep our little boat afloat including waitressing, teaching comedy traffic school, even a phone sex operator. But what I really needed was to find my way back to art.

I started teaching art to kids. They were fearless, uncompromising and uncritical. They were inspiring.

I got a bit older and brought my art out in the open, I liked what I saw, others did too. I felt comfortable in my old skin as an artist.

My work is about what I see out of the corner of my eye.
Its about the things we think about but never talk about.
Its about raw emotion, those indescribable feelings that can't be put into words.

I make art everyday. I create painting and sculpture an do large public artworks. I have traveled full circle and returned to the artist that I always was.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a lovely story. It made me happy and hopeful to read it!

Anonymous said...

Very clever! I truly enjoyed this.

Nan said...

Marylea/Murphy
I loved this! What a great story-and a good way to find out more about you!
Nancy

Anonymous said...

Your work is amazing. "I started teaching art to kids. They were fearless, uncompromising and uncritical. They were inspiring". Thank you for reminding me what's important again :)
and thank you for sharing. you're inspirational.

Dan Moynihan said...

Great story - thank you for sharing it.