For Parts Not Working
2023 - Ongoing...
In 2018, on a downhill slope, my child put his feet
through the spokes of our bicycle, and together we were thrown over the
handlebars. My mothering instincts took hold - I wrapped my arms around my baby
- taking the impact of the pavement with my head. I woke in a stranger's arms
and later learned that my baby came away virtually unscathed.
The hardest part of my recovery was learning to live with a concussion, which
came with a temporary inability to talk. Put simply, my brain couldn't process
thoughts fast enough to string words together.
As my recovery progressed, I realised I had gained a clear understanding of the
way my brain functioned. In particular, I understood where it housed trauma,
which was fascinating to me.
Unpacking the case of memories I've kept safely buried deep within my mind and
delving into the times I've been broken, 'For Parts Not Working' explores and
attempts to visually articulate trauma and related PTSD.
The series of constructed narratives are composed by combining a textile
element to represent a hospital vital signs monitor with photography and mixed
media techniques, including collage and sculptural work my children made during
their early years, through some of our shared lived experiences.
Drawing from my personal health struggles and near-death experiences, this
ongoing body of work is created as a tribute to my brain for the effective
filing systems it has created to protect me from myself.
....
For Parts Not Working was selected as a winning series and awarded a special distinction as Jurors Pick by Michael Foley in the Lens Culture Emerging Talent Awards, 2023. He writes why it was chosen ...
'How do we transform our memories of past trauma and its effects into something visual that is relatable to our viewers without weeping self pity onto the paper?
In Lisa Murray's, For Parts Not Working, a personal mishap acts as an educational tool to explore the function of the brain with all of its potential and limitations. The work blends facts, metaphor and near magical realism with contributions from her children and effective and purposeful mixed media which helps bring the physical part of trauma rushing to the surface.'
Michael Foley
Owner Foley Gallery, United States
I'm excited to announce that selected works from this series will be exhibited in the LensCulture winners group show at Caelum Gallery, NYC, 25-28 April, 2024
Sophie Wright for LensCulture Magazine Interview here 2023
Snippets of this story can be seen in the following publications...
ArtDoc Photography Magazine issue #6 'The Personal Lens' 2023
Yogurt Magazine Artist feature, 2023
Foto Slovo Magazine Artist Discoveries, 2023