James William Murray

Research
I am an artist, educator, and researcher. Since receiving an MA in photography from the University of Brighton in 2015 I have exhibited my work in the UK and internationally. My practice-led research explores subjectivities and politics of emotion underlying formal, minimal, and abstract approaches to contemporary art practice. I am interested in how such practices impact the personal, the political, and the social beyond studio practice and its presentational contexts. I continue to apply photographic concepts of mediated touch and indexical trace throughout my work, which subsequently expanded into painting, drawing, sculpture. I draw from emergent research methodologies including action-based documentation, which develops a cyclic exchange between art-making and writing. My research aims to contribute to debates regarding queer materiality within the broader field of queer studies, photography practice, and visual art practice-as-research.

Short Biography
b. 1988, lives & works in Brighton UK. In 2022 Murray will publish his 3rd artist publication Realia and will be artist in residence at Rule Gallery Marfa Texas USA. In 2021 he was awarded an Arts Council England grant to develop new work and published an artist edition Also Men. In 2020 he published The Drawing Stone as a means to distribute his work during the global pandemic. In 2019 he was artist-in-residence at Towner Art Gallery Eastbourne UK where he developed a large scale installation to contribute to its learning programme. In 2018 he was selected for the Sussex Open Commission Award to produce a major work. Between 2017 - 2020 Murray co-directed the artist-led studios and project space Niagara Falls Projects in Brighton UK where he facilitated 10 exhibitions of contemporary art. His work is held in public collections including the University of Brighton, The Hellenic Centre for Photography, The British Library, and private collections throughout the UK, Europe, and the USA. He is represented by Stephane Simoens Contemporary Fine Art in Belgium. 

Recent Exhibitions:
Turn Your Face Towards My Face, solo exhibition, Stephane Simoens Contemporary Fine Art, Knokke, Belgium 18/12/2021 - 07/02/2022 

Material Curing, group exhibition with Katrin Hanusch, Celeste McEvoy,Ieva Raudsepa, Tilo & Toni Thames-Side Studios Gallery, 13/11/2021 - 28/11/2021

James William Murray: Realia solo project at Brighton CCA Project Space, Brighton UK 09/08 - 20/08 2021

Too Young To Fruit, group exhibition with Dominic Beattie, Patrick Brandon, Andy Child, Jake Clark, Ben Cohen, Bobby Dowler, Tim Ellis, Doris Erbacher, Slaven Gabric, Adam Gillam, Dave Hanger, Norman Hyams, Alex Jones, Max Mason, Alex Macdonald, James William Murray, Elliot Nehra, Laurence Noga, Jack O’Neil, Benedict Owen, Nigel Palmer, Frances Richardson, Anne Ryan, Amy Stephens, Hanna ten Doornkaat, Ross Taylor, Adam Tunnicliffe, Wevet Projects, Brighton UK 01/06 - 28/06 2021

Object Q / Pursuit of Happiness duo exhibition with Garth Gratrix, Gallery DODO Brighton UK 29/05 -  27/06 2021
Supported by Arts Council England

Many Splendored Things duo exhibition with Garth Gratrix, Abingdon Studios, Blackpool UK 17/05 - 07/06 2021
Supported by Arts Council England

New Ideal group exhibition with Paul Anagnostopoulos, MK Baily, Damon Davis, Matthew Harris, Delphine Hennelly, Mildred Howard, RULE Gallery Denver CO USA 22/01 - 03/06 2021