How would you describe your artworks?
SM: I am a painter, and my work is primarily abstract. I use the basic principles and elements of design to create work that responds to a minimalist philosophy, to a purified truth of form.
CM: I am a ceramic artist, and I like minimalist forms.
When did you first fall in love with art?
SM: My art master in high school introduced me to minimalism and Russian Suprematism in art, which has had a big impact on my practice.
CM: I went to an exhibition at the Regional Gallery in Tamworth when I was in primary school. There was an extraordinary painting by William Robinson that captivated me.
Where do you find inspiration?
SM: I like to problem solve with my work: how can I use colour, line and shape to create a visually pleasing end product? I’m interested in the shapes, patterns and colours of my environment, the angles of buildings, the patterns of bricks, trees in a forest, electrical power lines.
CM: I find I am drawn to Asian ceramic design and natural wood-fired finishes. I have an affinity for bold forms, and I have a strong sense of design, given my commercial art background.
What does a typical day in the studio involve?
SM: I think I spend as much time thinking about an idea as I do when I am trying to realise it. I spend time doing preliminary drawings and getting my ideas sorted on paper before I start to paint. I also spend time playing with different approaches, but once I have a clear vision, I then like to focus on seeing it resolved.
CM: I generally spend most of my weekend in the studio with my partner, who is also a ceramic artist. We have very different approaches to clay, and we often discuss our work and bounce ideas off each other.
What are you currently working on?
CM: Last year for her birthday, I gave Sandra several pieces from a series that I had created when working with a black clay body. Sandra asked if I would be interested in working on a collaborative exhibition with that work, and I was immediately excited about the possibilities of this dual creative approach between the two mediums.
SM: We are familiar with each other’s work, but this is the first time that we have worked together. I believe that even though we are working in two opposing formats – mine in two dimensions and Christine’s in three – this will create an interesting dynamism and tension between the works exhibited.
CM: Our exhibition, Synergy: Pattern & Patina, will open on 24 August at the Canberra Potters Association and will run until 25 September. All works will be available to purchase.
Sandra McMahon, paintings. Acrylic paint, charcoal and collage on board. 40 x 40cm. Christine Murphy, ceramics. Mid fire black clay body with engobes and metallic black glaze. Left 9 x 9cm; right 11 x 8.5cm. Courtesy: the artists.
Sandra McMahon, paintings. Acrylic paint, charcoal and collage on board. 50 x 40cm. Christine Murphy, ceramics. Dark matter clay body with textured finish and mid fire black clay body with engobes and metallic black glaze. Left 48 x 25cm; right 7 x 11cm. Courtesy: the artists.
Sandra McMahon, paintings. Acrylic paint, charcoal and collage on board. Both 20 x 20cm. Christine Murphy, ceramics. Mid fire black clay body, pewter glaze. Left 10.5 x 12.5cm; right 9 x 11.5cm. Courtesy: the artists.