Exploring Photography Beyond The Frame

Photos by Adam Elwell

Esther Murphy’s Mixed Media Work IN VA GALLERY UNTIL March 19

Jennifer Childers and Adam Elwell

The Advocate

Photography is often thought of as a finished image captured in a single moment. But the work featured in the current MHCC gallery exhibit by artist Esther Murphy pushes that idea further, layering photography with collage, paint and sculptural elements to create pieces that exist somewhere between photograph and object. 

Murphy’s work brings together a wide range of mediums, including photography, painting, collage, sculpture and bookbinding. Many of the pieces begin with a photographic moment but evolve through a layered creative process that extends well beyond the initial image. 

“My inspiration comes from working with my camera,” Murphy said. “I’m inspired by seeing what the camera sees in particular moments where the light activates a tiny space right in front of it.” 

Some of those moments eventually develop into complex mixed-media compositions. Murphy often photographs collaged materials and then reintroduces those images into new work, allowing the creative process to build layer by layer. 

“I want the photographs to be a 2D space and a 3D space and also be their own object,” Murphy said. “Is it a sculpture? Is it a photograph? Is it something else entirely?” 

Unexpected materials also make their way into the work. One example is scratched lottery tickets, which Murphy began collecting after noticing their striking colors and graphic designs. 

“I found the colors really intense and the design fun and quirky,” Murphy said. “I had never scratched a lottery ticket until I moved to Oregon, but I started collecting them and held onto them for a couple of years before figuring out what to make with them.” 

The frames used in the exhibit also carry their own history. Murphy previously worked in high-end frame shops in New York City and at the Portland Art Museum, where discarded frames sometimes became available. Rather than replacing them, Murphy incorporates these frames directly into the artwork. 

Some of the frames once housed artwork by painter Lee Krasner, and the original gallery markings and labels remain visible. 

“I like to think about the residue of that art,” Murphy said. “All of the frames are found, and they’re part of the artwork.” 

The series has been developing for roughly two years, with pieces created in both New York and Portland. Now assembled in the MHCC gallery space, the exhibit reflects Murphy’s ongoing exploration of how photography, materials and physical space interact.