BIO
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Mollie Murphy is a recent graduate of the National College of Art and Design with a BA of Education and Fine Art, Print. Currently based between County Monaghan and Dublin, her interdisciplinary work ranges across the mediums of print making, drawing and installation.
Mollies work is predominantly inspired by the beauty of the natural world in which we live in. Focusing on the negative effect of human consumption and activity on the planet, she looks to draw attention to the disruption of the natural world that is caused by our actions.
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ARTISTS STATEMENT
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It is proposed that we have entered a new epoch- the Anthropocene, viewed as the period during which humans are the biggest inscribing force on our planet. Through my work I attempt to call attention to the impact that human intervention has had on our environment. I am interested in exploring complex connections and networks that are invisible to us, but that are imperative for the sustainability of the planet.
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Mycelium networking systems play a huge role in the ecosystem of a forest. This invisible networking system connects tree roots together supplying nutrients required for a flourishing forest, also known as the ‘wood wide web’. Within this context my work examines the impact that deforestation has had on my homeland Castleshane, Co. Monaghan. The concept “solastalgia”, which describes the existential distress caused by climate change and human intervention, informs the work throughout. Under this lens I reflect on the emotional connection that I hold with the forest. Deforestation not only kills the trees – our main source of oxygen – but disrupts this magical networking system beneath the forest floor.
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My process is guided by intimate research and site visits to the forest where I have been able to study the difference between the area affected by deforestation and the flourishing forest. Through drawing I have documented the diverse biodiversity in Castleshane woods, uncovering different species of fungus, which inspired the project greatly. Maps, both old and new, are used to identify the changing state of the forest over a period of two centuries– changes that are visible and quantifiable. It is the invisible impacts, however, that I want to draw attention to through my own form of mapping.
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To that end, etching and drawing provides a space for speculation where I can imagine the “more than human” entities of this invisible mycelial network that inhabit the forest floor. Soil gathered directly from the site stands in as a microcosm – a small area of deforestation may seem insignificant, but this human activity proves to be a global concern as deforestation occurs on a much larger scale and at a rapid pace. My work aims to highlight how even the smallest negative human impact on the environment can wield significant and often invisible disruption to our biodiversity.
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EXHIBITIONS
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2023: In Small Things We Find Ourselves, Laneway Gallery, Cork
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2022: NCAD Degree Show, Thomas Street, Dublin
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2022: Lasting Impressions, Thomas Street, Dublin
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COLLECTIONS
Office of Public Works, OPW, Dublin
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