Curious creatures

Former National Emerging Art Prize finalist Erin Murphy's work draws from an eclectic range of influences.

- Words HARRY ROBERTS Photography ALANA LANDSBERRY

THE WALLS OF ERIN MURPHY'S studio at Sydney's National Art School read like a picture dictionary sprung to life, with familiar objects as fragmentary entries in a tender taxonomy of a happy-go-lucky world.

Drawing on eclectic images from scientific volumes and vintage encyclopaedias, nature illustrations and children's books, Erin reimagines her curiosities in a painterly style that blends storybook whimsy with wit and pathos.

"It's the dry, straightforward nature of these pictures I find interesting," says the artist, who's nearly finished her master's. "Indifference isn't something we associate with painting, which we expect to be expressive or poetic. By bringing matter-of-fact imagery into art, a funny awkwardness can arise - I like that."