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Kevin Murphy: “Born and raised in the Bronx” This statement does not immediately conjure images of an aspiring artisan toiling with brush and paint towards crafting works of beauty. The reality is that Kevin didn’t consider art as a career path until he’d graduated High School, entertained a semester at a city college and labored through three New York City winters as a union carpenter. In fact, it was that third, and exceptionally unforgiving, winter that inspired Kevin to consider new avenues of work. At 6:30 on a cold winter morning, Kevin arrived at a construction site in Battery Park and decided it would be his last day of work in construction. It took most of the day to figure out where he’d go from there. By the end of the workday, he’d settled on sci-fi and fantasy book cover illustration as his next challenge. It was a genre he enjoyed reading and was always impressed with the artwork that was created within the field. As an artist, Kevin had dabbled with paint on and off since he was 10 years old. At 12 years old, he was introduced to the works of world-renowned illustrator, Boris Vallejo, his first inspiration. At the time, Kevin didn’t put together that what he was seeing in that artwork was a viable profession, he was merely taken with the art. At twenty-one, things were different; he realized he could make a living while painting subject matter he enjoyed. It was an opportunity to have a job he didn’t consider ‘work’ and that was a goal worth working towards. So when the construction workday ended, Kevin packed up his tools for the last time and gave them to one of the apprentices on the job. This was insurance that he would not look back… and he never did. Kevin applied to, and was accepted into the School of Visual Arts where he attended classes for one year. The pace and education were not in sync with his self imposed timeframe or desire to obtain his goal and so after finishing his foundation year, Kevin headed out on his own. He painted daily and when he’d exhausted every approach he could conceive on his own, he reached out to a young illustrator whose work he admired greatly. That illustrator, Dorian Vallejo (son of Boris), was generous enough to extend an invitation to Kevin to come work at his studio. The handful of days that Kevin spent in Dorian’s studio was a wholly humbling and eye opening experience. With renewed focus, Kevin began working on a portfolio that he would bring around in the hopes of getting his first commission. Within one year of meeting Dorian, Kevin received his first professional commission. Kevin was only twenty-three years old when he garnered his first book cover commission. Over the eight years that followed, he was commissioned to produce approximately two hundred published works as a freelance illustrator. Some of his more notable clients were Virgin Records, National Geographic, Barnes and Noble, M.T.V., Messina Brown, Lucas Films, Random House, R.J. Reynolds, Viacom, Ballantine Books, Chemical Bank, L’Oreal USA, St. Martin Press, Sagmeister, Inc. In the mid 1990’s, Kevin was hand selected by The Rolling Stones to create the artwork for their “Bridges to Babylon” CD and tour. The ‘Stones’ announced their tour at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. A banner (the height of a six story building) was draped from the bridge as a backdrop for this internationally broadcast announcement. This was certainly a high point in Kevin’s career. He had landed one of the most sought after illustration projects of the decade. He made his mark as an illustrator and shortly thereafter, took an extended hiatus from painting. When he returned to the easel, two years later, his interests were not in illustration, but in what he considered more meaningful art. The lessons he’d learned and the skills he sharpened as an illustrator opened many possibilities to him. At that time he decided to begin seeking portrait commissions. Though the transition from illustrator to fine artist was a struggle at first, Kevin eventually settled in. Over the years since this transition, Kevin has had the privilege of meeting and painting some extraordinary people. His international clients list include people from all walks of life. "To me, art is about the sensations that are universal to us as humans. In figurative work it is not enough to skillfully render a model in proper color and value. To be successful, the passages of flesh must be so enticing that they sing directly to our basest instincts. The posed figure, much like an exquisite meal must excite the palette, feed our appetite, but leave us yearning for the one last bite." The artist must learn to selectively surrender what his eyes perceive to create what his heart feels. Learning this tightrope walk is what keeps the creation of art a challenge and will always separate the great artists from the good. Every time I approach the canvas, I strive to walk that tightrope… some days my balance is better than others (over the years I’ve taken some nasty falls). In the end, art is about circumventing thought and engaging emotion directly. When this is accomplished a piece of art will speak to the viewer and enjoy a broad generational appeal. One of the finest examples of this is the sculpture of Aphrodite of Melos (Venus de Milo). Sculpted at about 100 BC, it is one of the most engaging figurative works on the face of earth. Though carved of stone, its flesh is undeniable. For more information about the art or the artist, please contact: BOI's of New Hope Art Gallery 9 W. Mechanic Street New Hope, PA 18938 215.862.8292 boisofnewhope@verizon.net |
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| Daybreak | Awakening | |
| Oil on Panel | Oil on Panel | |
| SOLD | 36 x 48 |
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