Description
OD Photo Prize 2023 | Shortlisted Artists
Jamie Murray [b. 1991] his work centres around storytelling. Drawing on ideas from history, he is interested in the persistence of stories and their relevance to humanity. Looking towards the notion of documentary within contemporary photography he feels it is important to engage with subjects in a number of ways, not being afraid to confront, collaborate with and record the experiences he has.
Artist Statement | The photographs in Folly were born from a series of conversations with individuals who have been incarcerated. Discussions of what had led to punishment, navigating the prison environment and the transition to freedom flowed towards philosophy, ideas of discipline and punishment, intertwined with questions around natural order and spirituality. The resulting allegorical photographs in Folly refer, both directly and indirectly, to what was said and how these conversations affected Murray.
Murray first began speaking to the individuals in 2017 in an attempt to understand more about their experience with the aim of making a documentary series within a prison. Most had been in prisons over long periods of their life, often multiple times, and Murray hoped to document these meetings and brought along his camera. Some individuals would allow portraits, and others not. As the conversations evolved, so did the project, as the encounters led him to reflect upon his own life, choices and history with meandering thoughts and emotions relating to what had been discussed.
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