Benjamin Murphy: Unquestionably Important Reading

Benjamin Murphy is a visual artist who creates incredible artwork using only electrical tape. Benjamin has created a wide range of work which is nothing short of remarkable. Benjamin Murphy was born in Yorkshire, and began his art career at the same art college as Henry Moore, Damien Hirst and Barbra Hepworth. He followed this by attaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in graphic design, and then a Master of Arts degree in contemporary fine art. Benjamin Murphy is known for his style of un-posed portraits of a solitary figure, going about their daily lives. His first solo show was entitled Abandon All Hope and was held in 2012 at Hoxton Galley. Benjamin Murphy has also had his work exhibited at the Houses of Parliament, the Saatchi Gallery, Beers Contemporary Galley in London, The Savoy Hotel and many more. His work has been enjoyed all around the globe, and now he’s here to talk books with us. Please enjoy my interview with Benjamin Murphy…

When someone asks you ‘what do you do for a living?’ – How do you respond?

I say I’m an artist, and I sometimes write about contemporary art for a few magazines.

the audacity of hopethe audacity of hope

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m currently reading The Audacity Of Hope by Barack Obama. American politics is a scary place right now so I decided that I needed a bit of positivity; Obama seemed a good conduit for that. It’s a really positive book written whilst he was still a senator. The overwhelming response the book received was what made him decide to run for president I think. As well as that I’ve just started the final volume of In Search Of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. It’s an incredible book that everyone should read at some point in their lives.

When you think about your childhood, what book comes to mind?

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien was my favourite book as a child, and I re-read it a few years ago in anticipation of the film and it’s still as great as when I read it the first time.

The Hobbit by J.R.R TolkienThe Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I didn’t really have any idea of what I wanted to be as a child, but as a teenager I had dreams of being a professional skateboarder or musician. Now I suppose I’m happy neither of those things worked out.

Did you demonstrate an affinity with art as a child?

I always had this boundless energy but I didn’t know where to direct it. I was always creative but I didn’t really focus on art until I was about 16. My art teacher must have seen something in me because she basically forced me to leave school and go to art college. (If on the off chance you’re reading this, thanks Mrs Henson).

What do you think your school aged self would think of the present day you?

School kids think all adults are lame, I don’t think I’d be an exception.

If you could wrap up a single book and gift it to yourself as you left education – which book would it be?

I’d advise myself not to read The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger instead, it’s such an awful book with no redeeming features.

The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. SalingerThe Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

Does your reading have routine? Is there a particular time or place that you like to read?

Not really, I read whenever it is inconvenient for me to draw.

ficcionesficciones

Which book has had the biggest impact on your career so far?

Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges. It inspired most of the works in my last solo show in London Gilded Chaos at Beers Contemporary. (The title is from a Charles Baudelaire essay though).

Ficciones by Jorge Luis BorgesFicciones by Jorge Luis Borges

What two pieces of advice would you give a young aspiring artist?

Learn everything you can about art, and try not to get too caught up in the partying.

Who would you say are the three artists that continue to inspire you?

Three that spring to mind are Chris Burden, Lucian Freud, and Cornelia Parker.

Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?

I go through phases, but I’ve always had an intense love of classic fiction.

Do you think reading is important?

Unquestionably.

What’s the best book you’ve read in the last 6 months?

Either Something Happened by Joseph Heller or Herzog by Saul Bellow. Something Happened is about the malaise of middle-aged middle-American life, and is far superior to Catch-22. Heller is definitely famous for the wrong book. Bellow is another absolute hero.

Do you prefer real books or digital books?

I love both. Physical books are really nice but eBooks are so convenient. I love being able to highlight and save passages in my Kindle for example. There seems to be a real hatred for eBooks by a lot of people, which to me just seems like irrational fear of the new.

Name a book that you feel every human should have to read by law.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee; the world would be a much nicer place if we all tried to be a bit more like Atticus Finch.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper LeeTo Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

What is the book that you feel has had the single biggest impact on your life?

East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I would do it a disservice if I was to attempt to describe how brilliant it is.

East of Eden by John SteinbeckEast of Eden by John Steinbeck

Are there any books you haven’t mentioned that you feel would make your reading list?

I would also recommend the following books:

Money by Martin Amis, The Fall and The Stranger by Albert Camus, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, Molloy by Samuel Beckett and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

What books or subject matter do you plan on reading in the next year?

It’s all political non-fiction at the moment. Last year my new years resolution was to read 100 books in the year, and I just missed out only getting to 80. This year I’m going to take it a bit easy and focus a bit more on writing one.

If you were to write an autobiography – what would it be called?

I would have gone with Prezza: Pulling No Punches, but sadly John Prescott beat me to it.

If you’d like to learn more about Benjamin Murphy, you can find him at his website, Facebook and Twitter.

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