Ryan's collages are so interesting, they exude simplicity and complexity at the same time. The cardboard gives a lovely, sculptural quality to what otherwise would be some very contemporary cut and paste! I'm also curious to know how she finds all that coloured cardboard.

Ryan Sarah Murphy
www.ryansarahmurphy.com
New York, NY

Describe your work in 10 words or less.

Restrained, urban/natural landscape, construction/destruction.

What do you like to work with (magazines, photographs, vintage)? Be specific!

I've been using found, colored cardboard collected from all sorts of boxes, packaging and containers. And glue.

How long have you been creating collages and what made you start?

I have always been drawn to collage-based works on paper though initially my concentration was sculpture. These cardboard collages satisfy a need to construct objects, make lines and apply colors, so for me they often feel like a combination of sculpture, drawing and painting.

Are you solely an artist, or do you work in another profession?

I work as a studio assistant to a Brooklyn-based stone sculptor.

Do you have any formal art training?

I received my BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Explain your favourite techniques.

I basically collect and hoard materials that catch my eye, cut out & tear colors, shapes and thicknesses, and assemble forms rather organically, growing and constructing them piece by piece.

Describe your favourite piece ever created.

My favorite piece always changes as it's usually the most current piece I've made. The latest collage I've completed is called "Dear, Dear Surface". It's one of the largest pieces I've made and has a sort of dual static/floating quality.

What other artists do you admire?

Maria Elena-Gonzalez, John Beech, Agnes Martin, Mona Hatoum, Rosie Lee Tompkins, Richard Diebenkorn, Mies van der Rohe.

Thanks Ryan!