about
Studio at Shepherd & Maudsleigh Studio
Works for Sale from In The Making at MMPA
Works for Sale from MMPA Flat Files
Susan Murie is an artist living and working in Boston, MA.
Recent exhibitions include the Maine Museum of Photographic Arts; Photographic Resource Center, Boston; Cambridge Art Association; Mass Art Auctions 2019-2023; CAA @ CANAL; Abigail Ogilvy Gallery and Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts. She has been interviewed in and work written about in Art Scope Magazine, online review; Podcast CyanUtopia; Boston Magazine - Boston Home; What Will You Remember Best Photo Picks and INKQ, Inky Leaves Publishing, London.
Her work is in collections at Fidelity Investments Corporate Art Collections, The City of Somerville, Raffles Hotel Boston, Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas, Ritz Carlton, San Francisco and private collections in the US and Europe.
Below is a review of my work in the Cambridge Art Association 2022 Member’s Prize Show and an interview.
ArtScope Online by Sandra Tirado. Full article here
“Visiting the exhibit, I was impressed by the array of talent. One particular piece that caught my eye was Susan Murie’s “Voyage #10,” a cyanotype on paper, including pencil and ink. Murie has a background in gardening which inspires many of her pieces, and so one can easily see how encapsulated nature is within her art.
When it comes to cyanotype prints and their unpredictability in quality or outcome once the printing process completes, it’s amazing to see how clear and sharp Murie’s “Voyage #10: is; something that takes skill in photography, let alone printing. A cascade of flora trails down the print, adding contrast to the negative space backdropping the piece. Accents of almost-gold knotted lines enhance the print with a bit more color, balancing out what otherwise would be an overwhelming presence of blue which is the cyanotype trademark; the knotted lines are a beautiful addition on Murie’s part that really makes the piece glow that much more.
With this piece, you get the impression that you are looking through glass, while the object in the background — what appears to be a suitcase with colorful detailing of floral print — reflects as if from behind you. It’s a piece I found myself reflecting on for a moment, which is a testament to Murie’s artistry. I asked her a few questions on her work
SANDRA TIRADO: What do you dream ‘Voyage #10’ will mean to others?
SUSAN MURIE: I hope they will see the beauty in it and in the color blue. Blue has long been used to convey feelings of calmness, distance and divinity as well as many other uses and meanings throughout history. Achieving a certain Prussian blue from my cyanotype process is one of the main goals. I love hearing what people see and feel from viewing my work!
ST: How was your experience creating this piece?
SM: I photograph each element in my work and I have a large archive of images to choose from when I begin a new piece. Each one is hand coated with a UV light sensitive solution and then dried overnight. The next day I look through my archives and begin to compose the piece on the coated paper. I have a loose idea of what I want to do. I find I work with certain imagery for a period of time, creating a body of work. Currently I am working with the vintage suitcase image in ‘Voyage #10’ as well as sailboats, deer and rabbits. Flowers and leaves are almost always in there as well as architectural elements from time to time. I am composing the pieces responding to my own nostalgia and emotion. I kind of let the process flow through me.”