They Promised the Sun, But Gave You Ashes

Joseph Murdach I grew up in a great environment for art. My parents had renditions of masterworks around our home and I was encouraged to pursue any creative impulse I had at a young age. My earliest influences were my father and brother. I still remember the day my dad showed me his cartoon drawings he did for his high school newspaper, and the pages of comic book illustrations my brother would create.

I have worked in the areas of graphic design, silkscreen printing, printmaking, drawing, and painting. All of these processes come into play as I find myself using bold lines, overlaying colors, and mixing up image content; while trying to create an interesting and compelling composition. Whether I am working on an abstract painting or trying to capture the likeness of a portrait I am always using my past art experiences as a guide for trying to create new pieces of art.

The work presented on this site is an overview of the many themes that run through my thought process. In these works you will find hidden in the layers some nods to anatomy, figurative representations, maybe a little politics or social commentary, and a whole lot of lines, shapes and weirdness. I try not to take my art too seriously and let my creative process be what it wants to be without too much interference from my brain. While I am cognizant of some sort of outcome for my art, I feel it is most successful when I let the work be created in an organic fashion, letting the piece tell me what it wants and when it is time to stop.

One of the reasons I started to create art is because I was inspired and impressed by the techniques and creative thoughts of the artists I came in contact with. If my pieces inspire others to create art and/or think about what is being portrayed then I will feel that I have done my job.