Murray State's Digital Commons

Collection Title

Conner Murt ART399 Portfolio

Author/Artist Name

Conner MurtFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Fall 11-7-2020

Artist Statement

Conner Murt

Artist/Design Statement

These photographs capture raw moments of people’s lives, without artistic fabrication, communicating a sense of candor and ingenuity in each photograph.There is an absence of a figure, yet obvious fingerprints have been left on the space due to its unique nature. Most easily explained, taking pictures of things that stand out mentally in a personal sense, have unique characteristics, and can illustrate only portions of a destination, without giving away all of the specifics of that said place are what is photographed within this work. The search that is involved in finding the spaces for the photograph is of greater importance than the editing and after process that follows photo taking. The images are framed in a way that provides balance and context to the subject of the photograph, thus allowing its story to be ascertained. The story of the consistent presence of the individuals responsible for the space, but the absence of their being within the photographs propels the continuation of this conundrum.

The photographs depict spaces and subjects/items that are worn and have clearly developed over time, providing a conclusion in a still frame, while allowing the onlooker to imagine the story that may have led up to that point. Photos of hands have also been incorporated into this work throughout the years. The inspiration and focus of these photos is the presentation of hands being a working part of an individual, heading somewhere, doing something, or pursuing daily activities. These snapshots of everyday life allow the eye of the beholder to fill in the blanks and allow his or her mind to wander and allow the photo to play out in a variety of ways that are dependent upon mood, life experience, and personal interests.

Inspiration for this work is drawn from two artists in particular: Ted Geshue and Nan Goldin. Ted Geshue is an independent photographer and digital media specialist living presently in London, England. His work primarily consists of classic cars and hazy landscapes. Ted Geshue’s photos produce a creamy, hazy lighting similar to what is broadcasted within this work. Inspiration is drawn from his lighting in particular when choosing destinations to photograph and during the editing process. In addition, Nan Goldin’s photography is a bit more chaotic, having collaborations with the likes of Supreme and large scale gallery representation such as MoMA. She resides and works in New York City, Berlin, and Paris. Nan Goldin inspires this work by means of capturing oddities, by implementing new objects of focus, and by never viewing everyday things plainly while undoubtedly stepping out of zones of comfort.

Studying everyday spaces and activities of daily living that are often overlooked is the focus of this work. The individual is not the focus, rather the space or environment enriched by that individual. Natural, un-fixed daily activities and scenerios provide insight to an individual and the life which they lead. Oftentimes, big highlights of people’s livelihood are the only memories captured by photographs; however, photographing everyday activities and natural events that are unrefined give people a realistic viewpoint of life to reflect upon and view in a different light. Revealing the identity of the figures behind the photographed spaces would divulge the mysterious nature of the work. The intent behind this specific work process is to invite the viewer to take an active role in the work by means of reflection, personal interpretation, or memory through life experience.

Advisor/Mentor

Jeanne Beaver, Michelle Burdine, Mike Martin

Description

The following includes twenty photos that I feel encapsulate my work as an artist. My art is displayed in the form of photographs, capturing spaces and environments that insinuate an obvious presence of a figure and their unique fingerprint left on the space, without ever revealing their true identity. A major portion of my works include distinctive, un-staged interior studios and home work spaces that present how individuals live their everyday lives. In addition, my most recent photo series captures dilapidated barns that inflict a sense of wear and tear in addition to time and years gone by. Time and wear are also qualities depicted within my photos of hands. Although the viewer may never know who those hands belong to, the idea is that the viewer sees them as a working part of the individual, heading somewhere, doing something, or pursuing his or her individual lives.

The image making process for me is easily more about the search for the particular spaces and environments that are captures by my photos and less about the editing and after process. It is these unfabricated, untouched domains, after all, that makes photo taking an adventure. Digital photography is the closest that we as humans can get to reliving memories and life experiences. Natural, unfabricated spaces are overlooked, so photos provide a gateway to remember and relive pieces of people’s lives that are often lost in time.

Photo Credit

All photos taken by Conner Murt

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Murt, Conner, "Conner Murt ART399 Portfolio" (2020). Professional Practices (ART 399). 100.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art399/100