She graduated from the Royal College of Art, with an MA in Fine Art, in 1999. She is best known for her work exploring intimacy, sexuality and the competitive aspects of human nature. Through photographic, performative and sculptural processes, video, installations and live art events, Murphy creates contexts in which a variety of people are invited to perform. Murphy is drawn to sensual and territorial behaviours and to the rituals and customs of rural and domestic life. Recurrent materials in her practice include glass, light, fibre-optics, photographic papers and emulsions, latex and ribbons. Certain aspects of her practice involves the participation and contributions of a large number of people. Murphy lectures in Photography at Kingston University, the , the Arts University College at Bournemouth, and the University of East Anglia.
Works
The Big Wheel: a live cartwheel chain event performed on London’s Millennium Bridge by over 150 participants for The Mayor’s Big Dance Festival. The longest ever acrobatic chain to be staged in London, this was created in collaboration with several gymnastic clubs and hosted by Tate Modern.
Opening - a performance and sculptural installation for Sugarcoated at Artsway,
Salute - an ongoing performance work for tall ships, involving maritime training, aerial and dance choreography and a long term research and training project in flying trapeze.
Kiss-ins - since 1999, Charlie Murphy collects kisses from all over the world by asking participants to donate their kisses to her trademark ‘kiss-in’ events. Murphy and her assistants invite couples, friends, and strangers to kiss for 90 seconds, while a dental alginate sets in their mouths. These casts are then turned into glass sculptures through a series of positive and negative mould making processes. The kiss-in events toured to a number of both national and international venues.
Show Multiples
The Anatomy of Desire
The Big Wheel Live Cartwheel Chain performance on London’s Millennium Bridge
The Art of Tickling Trout and other Sensual Pleasures
Linnaeus - a series of glass sculptures on the plant sexuality within the botanical collections of The Museum of Garden History and The Linnaean Society, interpreting an illustration of Linnaeus’s ‘Sexual System’ by ‘Ehret’ from 1736.
Salute - performance staged in the rigging of Tall Ships, transforming a maritime peace gesture into visual theatre.
Cut Glass & Plant Harlotry photogram series - referencing early 'photogenic' drawings by Fox Talbot and trompe l'oeil
Collections
Her works are held by Hayley Newman, Tate Modern; The Linnaean Society, London; University of Aberystwth; Danielle Arnaud, London; Vic Reeves.
Publications
The Anatomy of Desire, published by text+work, the Arts University College at Bournemouth, 2010. Includes essays by Luce Irigaray, Leonore Tiefer and Alistair Gentry.
Plant Harlotry, booklet published to accompany exhibition at Dissenters' Chapel, 2007
Sugarcoated, ArtSway, 2006,
The Art of Tickling Trout and Other Sensual Pleasures, ArtSway, with essay by Kathy Kubicki, 2003,
Rosette Contribution to Fash’n’Riot, Artist Limited Edition publication toured in British Council exhibition, 2002 & 2004
The Glass Border, exhibition catalogue, Danielle Arnaud Gallery, London, 1999
