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Archaic aesthetic
A new exhibit at Modern Fuel’s State of Flux Gallery is chronicling the progression of an artist’s career.
Kingston artist Tim Murphy’s discography is laid out among countless crinkled editions of his zine Ponyboys in his exhibit, Cheap, Fast, and Easy.
Murphy published his zine Noise Queen from 1996 to 2001 and then published Ponyboys until 2008. The do-it-yourself style of zines accurately represents the style of his exhibit — his photographs are intended to look like photocopies and the audio quality of his music recordings would make an audiophile cringe. It’s rough and unpolished, but it’s original.
Some parts of the exhibit seem like artifacts. The low resolution of the photographs stands out to anyone who is used to high-resolution digital images. A single audio tape amongst Murphy’s many CDs brings to mind the homebrew mixtapes that preceded Mp3 playlists.
The gritty, almost archaic feeling of the work shows how rapidly the way we exchange ideas changes. His work is completely separate from the Internet and isn’t reliant on syndicated distribution. What gives the exhibit its charm is experiencing the work of an individual who effectually rejects avenues which seem unavoidable today.
Cheap, Fast, and Easy runs until Feb. 18 in Modern Fuel’s State of Flux Gallery.