The black-and-white portraiture of Chelsie Murfee invites viewers to pause and more deeply engage with the subject matter she depicts. Each work of art is closely cropped around the subject’s face, rendered with rich tonal depth and dramatic lighting. During an online solo exhibition presented by 33 Contemporary titled SEEKING: Drawing the Journey,Murfee will be showcasing her latest body of work.
Michael John Baptist, graphite and ink on paper, 40 x 20½"
“As with much of my work, this collection strives to preserve unscripted moments as it documents genuine depictions of people and contemporary life,” says the artist. While the work itself is “journalistic in approach,” Murfee adds that she hopes these pieces captivate viewers on a more emotional level. “The work in this collection is highly individualized. While the drawings portray individual stories, the pieces also invite viewers to empathize as they relate to their life experiences.”
It’s Complicated..., pastel on toned paper, 18 x 22"
She cites a piece in the upcoming show titled It’s Complicated…, depicting a man with a cigarette and a cowboy hat. “Behind the scenes, I created the work in response to the sudden and tragic death of a parent. As my family and I processed loss, I found myself in a surreal and somehow strangely beautiful moment,” Murfee says. “I picked up my camera. As Nicholas stood in that instant, wearing his tattered U.S. flag T-shirt, quietly shaking his head, and whispering between each slow and painful drag, ‘it’s complicated.’ I felt intense, complex grief was a connection that ran through many of us. I was reminded, especially in the wake of the pandemic, that so many were staring through the lens of grief into their uncertain futures, whispering to themselves, ‘it’s complicated.’ I realized I was not alone.”
Hailey Rose, pastel on dark paper, 11 x 13"
The exhibition also features three works from Murfee’s Signpost Series, pieces created in response to the pandemic and the concept of building/repairing. Each piece, Murfee says, has a compelling backstory.
“Figurative art tugs my spirit because it is the story of us, and it documents how we spend our days on this planet. In a time when visual imagery is readily manipulated, I seek to reclaim and showcase the unedited, raw beauty of the unscripted narrative,” she says. “I believe the dirt, the tears, the pain, the love and the hope we carry on this quest is our story. Much of it is beautiful—but all of it deserves to be remembered.”
Between Darkness and Light, mixed media drawing on toned paper, 11 x 13"
Most of Murfee’s art is created primarily in dry media like graphite, charcoal and pastel, though she experimented with a variety of mediums in her earlier work. “None held my attention like dry media. I am still fascinated with the blending capabilities of graphite. I enjoy the subtleties and ethereal qualities from the softer ranges and welcome the warmth of the gray. I appreciate how dry media stays in place but also blends away, enabling me to create work that is both soft and precise.”
SEEKING: Drawing the Journey is on view at www.artsy.net for the month of November. —
33 Contemporary Gallery Zhou B Art Center, 4th Floor • 1029 W. 25th Street • Chicago, IL 60609 • (708) 837-4534
www.33contemporary.com
www.artsy.net/show/ 33-contemporary-seeking-drawing-the-journey
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