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ETHAN MURPHY: Where the Light Shines First

Where the Light Shines First is a photographic accumulation of the artist’s previous and current relationship to Newfoundland’s rural environment. Murphy grew up in St.John’s and moved to Toronto, Ontario to study photography at Ryerson University. As a young person Murphy felt the limitations of living in a remote area and was eager to leave after the death of his father. Once moved to a congested city he encountered a type of urban isolation and felt a loss of identity after leaving Newfoundland. This work serves as a modern day pilgrimage returning back to the artist’s roots while searching for identity through photography. This ongoing series consists largely of the renegotiation of Murphy’s relationship with his father as well as the rural environment itself.

Ethan Murphy is a photographer born in St. John’s Newfoundland currently working towards his BFA in Photography Studies at Ryerson University. Murphy’s work links identity with place by reflecting on the psychological impact of Newfoundland’s rural environment. His work is concerned with a fluctuating perspective that enables him to renegotiate his relationship with remote areas. He works primarily with a large format view camera and a medium square format camera which slow down the shooting process allowing him to match the pace of his surroundings. Murphy’s photographs function as personal documents that combine urban influence with a rural perspective.