PROFILE: OLLIE MURPHY

Ollie Murphy is a London based illustrative artist and photographer.
Ollie is really into documenting life.
Ollie has an accidental ‘Fuck Society’ mentality & is a frequent face in London’s punk music scene.
We really like Ollie.

Q. 3 words that sum you up?

A. Disorganised, Daydreamer, Obsessive.

Q. How did you get into photography & what inspires you?

A. I studied an illustration course at arts school, one day we had a photography lesson by a tutor called Dave Hendley...
The way he described the act of photography and the way he explained images really excited me.
The second i left that lecture i went to a shit camera shop on my street and bought a 35mm camera and loads of rolls and i've been shooting ever since everyday and that was 5 years ago! 

Two of my favourite photographers are Daido Moriyama & Shomei Tomatsu.
I'm majorly inspired by them.
Lots of things inspire me, i really love painting even though i hardly ever paint anymore.
Id like to think some of my photos have elements of painting in them, such as expressive marks.. But people inspire me whether i draw, photograph or whatever - my work is always figurative. 

Q. What is your favourite subject to capture?

A. My favourite subject to capture is people definitely.
There are tons of different ways people shoot photos i never really had a project in mind i carry a camera everywhere with me and i'm just really into documenting life.
It's something i have to do.
It's like a diary for me that influences my drawing also.


Q. Your pictures have a distinct unreformed attitude, kind of like a 'fuck you' to society, how do you liken that to your art?

A. I don't know i try not to over analyse anything i do too much or fall into a headspace of 'why even bother making art'.
I have that mentality about society and life anyway so i guess its just accidentally expressed through my photos. Happy accidents.


Q. What can you tell us about the London punk music scene and hows this influences your work?

A. My work is my work and i've been involved in going to punk shows and being in bands and designing records ever since i was about 15 so it just falls into my work. Again - happy accidents.

Q. On that note... records on repeat?

A. Best punk bands in the UK right now are Anxiety and Public Service. Been playing them on repeat for weeks. My favourite records ever are... Christian Death - Only Theatre of Pain, Ian Dury - New Boots & Panties, The Streets - Original Pirate Material, anything by Lungfish, Iggy & The Stooges, Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs.
And a million more.