Welcome! I’m a surrealist painter from Portland, Oregon, currently living in Taiwan. This page will tell you a little bit about myself, my history, and my career as a contemporary fine artist. This website is an honest blog about my work in progress, painting process, and exhibitions, as well as a gallery to display my work; I will attempt to avoid preening, pretentiousness and building myself up with mystery and gloom. At the same time, while once I felt that my paintings were strong enough to stand on their own, I now recognize that a full understanding of the painting is impossible without getting to know the artist.

Therefore, I will make a few attempt to share my eccentric self with you, for example by sharing writing excerpts from my journal. Although I still believe in trying to keep myself separate from my paintings in order to preserve the authentic experience of the viewer, and I insist that my meaning or interpretation of each painting is less important than your personal reaction to it, I will admit that I am, for better or worse, a big part of my work.

What I paint

My paintings combine religious symbolism, images from pop culture and human figures in absurd or shocking compositions, in order to draw out contradictions in social ideology or limitations in personal belief systems. The best reaction to my paintings is laughter – after the initial confusion and surprise, when the rational mind shuts down its ability to comprehend and accepts the mystery or non-meaning of the painting, a spontaneous chuckle at the ridiculousness of the figures is appropriate.

However my paintings sometimes stray into more controversial territory as criticisms of traditional belief systems, and will either be appreciated or feared based on the allegiances of the viewer. The cultural, religious or traditional symbols involved engage viewers in questioning the relationships between the various ideological systems they are surrounded in. Modernism, globalization, religion, relationship… each of these presents its own demands.

Why I paint

Mainly, I paint because it makes me happy. When a strikingly absurd images collects itself in my head, the process of developing the raw idea into a very specific painting is both a challenge and an adventure. I can spend all day and all night painting – neglecting to eat or bathe, immersed in the minute to minute challenge of realizing the idea to its greatest potential (limited only by my artistic ability). I understand that critics, who are offended by certain images, may ask, more specifically, why do you paint sacrilegious paintings that abuse, belittle or make fun of religious images? First of all, although it appears I’m making a very direct attack on the sanctity of religion – I rarely support my paintings with a particular ideology; in fact it’s the lack of ideology which I want to express. I don’t have a reason to paint a corkscrew on a crucifix or two young girls sucking on a cross, or Buddha-McDonald or the OJ Buddha – however the images appealed to me (in other words, struck an emotional chord in me) and I’m not the sort of person to limit my actions based on fears societal reprimand.

When I write, I have to be logical, rational, brilliant. I have to provide evidence, argument, smooth transitions and organization – and even if I do it perfectly, people who don’t agree with me will pick over it over for flaws like vultures on a rotting corpse, pecking at it until it loses all integrity. With painting, I can paint what I want, how I want, and it is never wrong. Nobody can tell me there is a mistake in my painting. And more importantly, it doesn’t even matter if they agree with me. It doesn’t matter if they believe what I believe. It doesn’t matter if we speak the same language. It doesn’t matter if they know me at all. A good painting is the ability to grab someone by the collar, squeeze their lips shut and scream profanities into their ear.

Your works often deal with religious subjects – aren’t they blasphemous?

Yes! A great part of my life’s work will be to reposition ‘blasphemy’ from a negative to a positive – something I constantly work on in my site, www.holyblasphemy.net. While toying with objects of great emotional investment, of course I will not avoid religious iconography. Moreover, I was raised Christian, studied Theology in Roman Catholic Europe, and then moved to the polytheistic and rich spiritual diversity of Taiwan. I understand that people who may otherwise appreciate my paintings feel uncomfortable with some of my more controversial works; but neglecting or avoiding certain topics for the sake of the sensitivities of the faithful contradicts the purpose of my art – it’s also unjust. Why should the ideological framework of these viewers, which is the most sensitive and easily offended, be catered to specifically? Wouldn’t it, in line with my goals as an artist, make more sense to instead focus on breaking these particular, powerfully binding, spiritual paradigms?

“My dismissal of concepts of God is not atheistic or anti-religious, because it is only our respect and belief in the inherent perfection of God (as an ideal) that leads us to refuse these limited human conceptions. The point is that Blasphemy is not an attack on God. It is the quest for an improved God, and the sacred duty of the spiritually eager.” (www.holyblasphemy.net)

If you’d like to unravel the mystery, confusion and contradiction inherent in my rarely stable personality – which is beset by flashes of genius – go ahead and read some of my writing samples.

德瑞克預計於2010至2011年期間陸續舉辦數次展覽與相關活動.

Derek has several events and exhibitions scheduled for 2010 and 2011. Currently he’s preparing for a group show at the Taipei Mayor’s Salon. The show will feature “A menagerie of artists from around the world, who would like to share some artworks.” It will be open from 11am to 6pm daily, from Feb. 9th to the 27th – however the opening night will be February 13th.

• Taipei AlleyCats Solo Exhibition, April 25, 2010
• Taipei Mayor’s Salon, Group Exhibition (Taipei Artist’s Inaugural Member’s Show), 2010
• Gallery 102 – Solo Exhibition, Tainan, Taiwan, 2009
• “Absurd Visions” – Solo Exhibition, NCKU Art Space, Tainan, Taiwan, 2009
• Chiayi International Artfest, Chiayi, Taiwan, 2007
• Lake Oswego Festival of The Arts, Oregon, 2002
• Living Enrichment Center, Wilsonville, Oregon, 2002
• Art at Bay Street, Sliema, Malta, 2001
• The Labyrinth, Valletta, Malta, 2001
• The Gallery, Tower Road, Sliema, Malta, 2000

Derek exhibits regularly. For current gallery exhibitions, please check the NEWS or BLOG section, or visit his Facebook page.

在討論許久之後，我決定要著手開辦我的個人油畫教學教室。如果你就近住在台南，且想要學習畫油畫，以下是課程相關的資訊.

After a lot of talking, I’ve determined to go ahead and get my studio set up to teach private oil painting classes. (6 Easels, Flood Lights, Projector, etc.) I like to do portraits but can teach landscape, figure, drawing and sketching – the only thing I’m particularly bad at is modern abstract, but feel free to come over and make a mess. If you live in Tainan, Taiwan, and would like to learn oil painting, here are the details.

Oil Painting Lessons
Private Lessons: (anytime) 800nt for 2 hours.
Group Lessons: Tuesday and Thursday (7:30~9:30) 500nt for two hours
Supplies: Bring your own, or 1000nt for four canvases and your own paint set.
Location: No.37, Alley 101, Lane 148, Kaiyuan Rd.
Tainan City, Tainan 704, Taiwan ROC
Phone:    0936935611
Email: teosocrates@yahoo.com
Language of Instruction: English or Chinese.

Derek Murphy is an American surrealist artist. He studied classical oil painting in Florence, Italy before moving to Taiwan.

油畫課程

一對一課程: (自訂) 學費是兩小時800元。

小班團體課程: 星期二及星期四(晚間7點半至9點半)，學費是兩小時500元。

畫具: 請自備，或者是繳交1000元材料費購買4幅畫布和一組畫具。

上課地點: 台南市開元路148巷101弄37號。

連絡電話: 0936935611

電子信箱: teosocrates@yahoo.com

授課語言: 英文或中文

德瑞克墨菲 是一個美國籍的超現實派畫家。在來台灣之前，他曾在義大利之佛羅倫斯學習古典油畫。