MOLLIE M MURPHY is a Scottish artist and printmaker. Murphy was born and raised in Glasgow discovering a love of drawing and graphic traditions whilst attending life classes at Glasgow School of Art in her mid teens.
She moved to London where she attended London College of Printing to study a foundation course
(1983-84) , and Goldsmiths College (1984-87) where she completed a BA (hons) in Fine Art. Some of her classmates included Fiona Rae, Sarah Lucas, Liam Gillick, Damien Hirst, and Michael Landy, who subsequently rose to prominence as the Young British Artists.
Following studies at Goldsmiths Murphy proceeded to specialize in limestone lithography serving an apprenticeship with artist, Joan Key, in her studio at One Fawe St. in the Spratts' Complex, among the first instances of warehouse conversions in London. At that time the Spratts' Complex was a hard-working colony whose residents included artists Elizabeth Fritsch.and sculptor A.R. Penk.
Murphy went on to study at Postgraduate level completing the SAS course in Advanced Printmaking at Central St Martins School of Art (1988-90). In the early to mid nineties she was represented by Carolyn Wiseman of Wiseman Originals ltd. who brought her work to the New York Art Fair, Murphy also participated in several group shows throughout the UK and at the Venice Biennalle through the Outpost Biennalle Project. In addition to showing in established galleries Murphy also participated in alternative venues, showing work at the Tabernacle Gallery and various pop up galleries around the Portobello Rd. area of London where she lived at the time. She had her first one woman show at the Hensons Gallery in Camden, North London, and had her work published in the International Womens’ Art Diary 1993.
During this time Murphy developed an interest in Eastern philosophy and specifically Zen tradition, this is evident in the application of spare, minimalist line work in her drawings which posses a tensile quality and innate understanding of form. With the trend towards commodification of the Young British Artist in the early to mid nineties Murphy sought a change of scene and moved to Los Angeles in 1996.
Murphy continued her printmaking practice through the Professional Printmaking Program at Self Help Graphics in East Los Angeles and maintained a studio in Venice, CA where she exhibited during the annual Venice Art Walk. She became involved in the downtown Los Angeles art scene in collaboration with artists from the Brewery and Santa Fe Arts colonies. Her work appeared in several group shows at Post Gallery, Art Share, and Gallery 825. She started working in installation form following the birth of her first child in 2000 and had several one woman shows featuring these installations at the Brewery and Santa Fe Colony Art Walks and the Echo Park Arts Festival. She held her first one woman show of paintings in Los Angeles at Gallery 4016, a warehouse gallery in the Sunset Junction area of L.A.
In 2003 Murphy curated and exhibited in ‘Skin- A Female Perspective” at the I-5 gallery, the show featured women artists from the Santa Fe Art colony each of whom explored texture in their work to convey the body experience, the show included works by Laurel Paley, Terry Lenihan, Kristen Xavier and Elena Philips and was reviewed in ArtScene magazine.
Following a haitus during which she raised her family Murphy became involved with The Karma Underground (TKU). TKU is a charity organization set up by street artist Lydia Emily along with fellow artists and filmakers as a vehicle to support Tibetan causes. TKU hosted two charity art auctions - the first at Art Share L.A. (2012) in support of Tibetan girls schools, and the second at Angel City Brewery (2013) in support of Tibet House. Murphy showed in both TKU group shows which featured Shepard Fairey as well as other local artists.
Murphys’ work has featured as backdrops in several TV shows including Good Morning Miami, CSI Las Vegas, Six feet Under and NYPD Blue.
Her work is held in private collections throughout the UK, Europe, and Los Angeles including those of NYPD Blue producer Steven Bochco, and other industry professionals.
MOLLIE MURPHY continues to live and work in Los Angeles.
1963 Born in Glasgow, Scotland, UK
1983-84 London College of Printing, London, UK
1984-87 Goldsmiths College, London, UK
1987-88 Apprenticeship, Fawe St Studios, London, UK
1988-90 SAS Printmaking, Central St Martins, London, UK
1990 Wiseman Originals, New York Art Fair, NY
1991 Group Show, Merz Contemporaries, London, UK
1992 Portobello Open, Tabernacle Gallery, London, UK
1992 Solo Exhibition Jim Henson Studios, London, UK
1993 Publication International Womens Art Diary 1993
1994 The Printer Tale, Collins Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
1995 Outpost Biennalle Project, Venice Biennalle, Italy
1996 Group Show, Synergy Gallery, London, UK
1997 Group Show, Visual Candy Shoppe, Los Angeles, CA
1998 Group Show, Post Gallery, Los Angeles
1998 Open Studio, Venice Art Walk, Venice, CA
1999 Salon Du Petit, Los Angeles, CA.
1999 Group Show, Post Gallery
2001 Points of Perspective, Echo Park Arts Festival, Los Angeles, CA
2001 Engaging Materialism, Art Share L.A. Los Angeles, CA
2002 Traces, installation, Echo Park Arts Festival, Los Angeles, CA
2002 Fragments, installation, Brewery Art Walk, Los Angeles, CA
2002 Drawing from Perception, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
2002 Nature and the City, Echo Park Arts Festival, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Skin, curated and exhibited, group show, I-5 gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Hopscotch- One woman show of paintings- 4016 gallery, Los Angeles
2012 The Karma Underground, group show, Art Share, Los Angeles, CA
2013 TKU group show, Angel City Brewery, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Keystone Studios Group Exhibition Spring 2021
2021 Keystone Studios Group Exhibition and Open House Fall 2021
2022 Keystone Studios Sending Love to Ukraine- fundraiser
2022 Keystone Studios Spring Group Show Open House Planned Parenthood
2022 Keystone Studios-Small Works Holiday Show