Margaret Murphy

Work samples

Spin to Win #1

My art delves into the pervasive commodification of femininity within contemporary society. Through mixed media paintings, I dissect the pressure placed on women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards throughout their lives.

Beauty products, clothing, shapewear, figurines, and toys become the central characters in my work, acting as potent symbols of societal expectations.

My latest series utilizes the carnival spinning wheel as a central motif. Divided into triptychs, each wheel portrays a specific stage in a woman's life: toddler, young adult, and mature woman. These playful yet sinister contraptions showcase the ever-present, age-specific beauty ideals marketed towards women. Products plastered on the wheels promise to maintain youth, a perfect figure, and an idealized, "princess-like" state.

The juxtaposition of vibrant acrylics, mimicking the commercial world's superficiality, with meticulously rendered oil paintings of the products, creates a sense of hyper-reality. This visual language emphasizes the constructed nature of beauty standards and the pressure to conform.

While the two-dimensional surface offers a platform for this exploration, the act of painting itself becomes a form of resistance. Through this process, I reclaim the narrative surrounding femininity, transforming these mass-produced objects into a critical commentary on societal pressures.
Spin to Win #2
Spin to Win #3
Shape Wear #1

About Margaret

Baltimore City - Station North A&E District

Margaret Murphy is an artist and educator who lives and works in Baltimore, MD. For the past four years she has maintained a studio at Area 405 in Station North.

Margaret received her MFA from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts and her undergraduate degree from Towson University.

Margaret's work focuses on the commodification of gender and femininity. Beauty products, clothing, shapewear,… more

View Margaret's Resume

Spin to Win

Spin to Win: The Price of Beauty

My art delves into the pervasive commodification of femininity within contemporary society. Through mixed media paintings, I dissect the pressure placed on women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards throughout their lives.

Beauty products, clothing, shapewear, figurines, and toys become the central characters in my work, acting as potent symbols of societal expectations.

My latest series utilizes the carnival spinning wheel as a central motif. Divided into triptychs, each wheel portrays a specific stage in a woman's life: toddler, young adult, and mature woman. These playful yet sinister contraptions showcase the ever-present, age-specific beauty ideals marketed towards women. Products plastered on the wheels promise to maintain youth, a perfect figure, and an idealized, "princess-like" state.

The juxtaposition of vibrant acrylics, mimicking the commercial world's superficiality, with meticulously rendered oil paintings of the products, creates a sense of hyper-reality. This visual language emphasizes the constructed nature of beauty standards and the pressure to conform.

While the two-dimensional surface offers a platform for this exploration, the act of painting itself becomes a form of resistance. Through this process, I reclaim the narrative surrounding femininity, transforming these mass-produced objects into a critical commentary on societal pressures.

Spin to Win (triptych)

oil and acrylic on wood panel

40" x 40" each

2023-24

Each panel depicts a stage of a girl/woman and the beauty products marketed to them to stay young, fresh, rescued, erased etc. The first panel is toddler age (yellow background) the second panel is young woman (pink background) and the third is mature woman (red background)

My art delves into the pervasive commodification of femininity within contemporary society. Through mixed media paintings, I dissect the pressure placed on women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards throughout their lives.

This series utilizes the carnival spinning wheel as a central motif. Divided into triptychs, each wheel portrays a specific stage in a woman's life: toddler, young adult, and mature woman. These playful yet sinister contraptions showcase the ever-present, age-specific beauty ideals marketed towards women. Products plastered on the wheels promise to maintain youth, a perfect figure, and an idealized, "princess-like" state.

The juxtaposition of vibrant acrylics, mimicking the commercial world's superficiality, with meticulously rendered oil paintings of the products, creates a sense of hyper-reality. This visual language emphasizes the constructed nature of beauty standards and the pressure to conform.

While the two-dimensional surface offers a platform for this exploration, the act of painting itself becomes a form of resistance. Through this process, I reclaim the narrative surrounding femininity, transforming these mass-produced objects into a critical commentary on societal pressures.

Available for Purchase

contact artist
Spin to Win #1

oil and acrylic on wood panel

40" x 40"

2023-24
Spin to Win #2

oil and acrylic on wood panel

40" x 40"

2023-24

My art delves into the pervasive commodification of femininity within contemporary society. Through mixed media paintings, I dissect the pressure placed on women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards throughout their lives.

Beauty products, clothing, shapewear, figurines, and toys become the central characters in my work, acting as potent symbols of societal expectations.

My latest series utilizes the carnival spinning wheel as a central motif. Divided into triptychs, each wheel portrays a specific stage in a woman's life: toddler, young adult, and mature woman. These playful yet sinister contraptions showcase the ever-present, age-specific beauty ideals marketed towards women. Products plastered on the wheels promise to maintain youth, a perfect figure, and an idealized, "princess-like" state.

The juxtaposition of vibrant acrylics, mimicking the commercial world's superficiality, with meticulously rendered oil paintings of the products, creates a sense of hyper-reality. This visual language emphasizes the constructed nature of beauty standards and the pressure to conform.

While the two-dimensional surface offers a platform for this exploration, the act of painting itself becomes a form of resistance. Through this process, I reclaim the narrative surrounding femininity, transforming these mass-produced objects into a critical commentary on societal pressures.
Spin to Win #3

oil and acrylic on wood panel

40" x 40"

2023-24

My art delves into the pervasive commodification of femininity within contemporary society. Through mixed media paintings, I dissect the pressure placed on women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards throughout their lives.

Beauty products, clothing, shapewear, figurines, and toys become the central characters in my work, acting as potent symbols of societal expectations.

My latest series utilizes the carnival spinning wheel as a central motif. Divided into triptychs, each wheel portrays a specific stage in a woman's life: toddler, young adult, and mature woman. These playful yet sinister contraptions showcase the ever-present, age-specific beauty ideals marketed towards women. Products plastered on the wheels promise to maintain youth, a perfect figure, and an idealized, "princess-like" state.

The juxtaposition of vibrant acrylics, mimicking the commercial world's superficiality, with meticulously rendered oil paintings of the products, creates a sense of hyper-reality. This visual language emphasizes the constructed nature of beauty standards and the pressure to conform.

While the two-dimensional surface offers a platform for this exploration, the act of painting itself becomes a form of resistance. Through this process, I reclaim the narrative surrounding femininity, transforming these mass-produced objects into a critical commentary on societal pressures.
Detail: Irish Princess

Detail: Spin to Win #1

oil on wood
Erase Your Face

Erase Your Face, 2023

Oil paint on wood panel

14”h x 11”w
Claire Hair

Caire Hair, 2023

Oil paint on wood panel

14”h x 11”w
Barbie Accessories

Barbie Accessories, 2023

Oil on panel

14”h x 11”w
Shape Wear #1

Shape Wear #1, 2023

Oil & acrylic paint, plastic arrow on paper

30”h x 22”w

My art delves into the pervasive commodification of femininity within contemporary society. Through mixed media paintings, I dissect the pressure placed on women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards throughout their lives.

Beauty products, clothing, shapewear, figurines, and toys become the central characters in my work, acting as potent symbols of societal expectations.

My latest series utilizes the carnival spinning wheel as a central motif. Divided into triptychs, each wheel portrays a specific stage in a woman's life: toddler, young adult, and mature woman. These playful yet sinister contraptions showcase the ever-present, age-specific beauty ideals marketed towards women. Products plastered on the wheels promise to maintain youth, a perfect figure, and an idealized, "princess-like" state.

The juxtaposition of vibrant acrylics, mimicking the commercial world's superficiality, with meticulously rendered oil paintings of the products, creates a sense of hyper-reality. This visual language emphasizes the constructed nature of beauty standards and the pressure to conform.

While the two-dimensional surface offers a platform for this exploration, the act of painting itself becomes a form of resistance. Through this process, I reclaim the narrative surrounding femininity, transforming these mass-produced objects into a critical commentary on societal pressures.

Vanitas

The two large Vanitas paintings pay tribute to individuals whose lives took on a public identity as cultural influencers or agents of change. The flower arrangements; symbolic and larger than life, are still life paintings that respond to “momentous events of history” while honoring the individual whose private life became public. The paintings are inspired by Dutch flower paintings, filled with symbolism and color devises that reinforce the historic event or people the painting is honoring. In Vanitas, Women of Change the preponderance of yellow and white flowers represent the suffragettes while the bee is a nod to Beyoncé (Queen B), and lady bugs can be found in all prosperous gardens like the flower arrangement depicted that honors women who have changed the world. In Vanitas, Black Lives Matter, the flowers are mostly perennials, symbolizing the lasting and continually recurring nature of the violence against African Americans by law enforcement. The name tributes continue to fall from the flower arrangement symbolizing the passage of time and perennial nature of the violence.

Vanitas - Women of Change

oil on wood panel 48" x 48" 2020 According to Norman Bryson, still life painting is “at a level of existence where events are not at all large-scale, momentous events of History, but the small-scale, forgettable acts of bodily survival and self-maintenance”. It is with this thought in mind that I painted flowers, in part as a form of self-maintenance; and as impeachment trials lead to a global pandemic and racial justice protests, the paintings grew to respond to the events of history unfolding, through the overlooked and humble still life. The two large oil on wood panel flower paintings include tributes to individuals whose lives had become public through their own acts or the acts of others perpetrated against them. Wanting to address the power of the individual and the collective, the flower arrangements; large, diverse, symbolic and larger than life, are still life paintings that paint a portrait of “momentous events of history” while honoring the individual whose private life became public. The paintings harken back to baroque still life painting, employing symbolism and color devices that create austere arrangements imbued with cultural signifiers and timely juxtapositions between individual and group, personal and public, joyous and sad.
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Detail
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Vanitas - Black Lives Matter

Oil on wood panel 48" x 48" 2020 According to Norman Bryson, still life painting is “at a level of existence where events are not at all large-scale, momentous events of History, but the small-scale, forgettable acts of bodily survival and self-maintenance”. It is with this thought in mind that I painted flowers, in part as a form of self-maintenance; and as impeachment trials lead to a global pandemic and racial justice protests, the paintings grew to respond to the events of history unfolding, through the overlooked and humble still life. The two large oil on wood panel flower paintings include tributes to individuals whose lives had become public through their own acts or the acts of others perpetrated against them. Wanting to address the power of the individual and the collective, the flower arrangements; large, diverse, symbolic and larger than life, are still life paintings that paint a portrait of “momentous events of history” while honoring the individual whose private life became public. The paintings harken back to baroque still life painting, employing symbolism and color devices that create austere arrangements imbued with cultural signifiers and timely juxtapositions between individual and group, personal and public, joyous and sad.
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Detail Vanitas - BLM
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Detail Vanitas - Black Lives Matter
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Fresh Flowers

The paintings, Fresh Flowers, I began when 1st the impeachment trials started and vowed to make one a week until DJT was impeached. I felt the need to create objects of beauty to comfort the fatigue we all feel, especially women in the age of Trump. Flower paintings have always been considered a lesser form of painting, concerned with the senses therefore not serious. My flower paintings are strongly asserted images of form, beauty and design meant to assert themselves boldly and unapologetically.

According to Norman Bryson, still life painting is “at a level of existence where events are not at all large-scale, momentous events of History, but the small-scale, forgettable acts of bodily survival and self-maintenance”. It is with this thought in mind that I painted flowers, in part as a form of self-maintenance; and as impeachment trials lead to a global pandemic and racial justice protests, the paintings grew to respond to the events of history unfolding. My oil on paper and wood panel flower paintings are compositions based on familiar and shared cultural artifacts.

yellowflower.jpg

oil on paper 30"h x 22"w 2020
Fresh Flowers.jpg

Fresh Flowers, oil on paper, 30" h x 22" w each 2019 - 2021 My oil on paper flower paintings are compositions based on familiar and shared cultural artifacts. While painting these I realized that I tapped into a collective desire for some form of comfort in troubled times, at the same time, also challenging the historic bias against flower paintings/still life as a less serious art form. I frequented Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores to purchase flowers and the vases I purchased at Ikea, West Elm and second hand stores. These artifacts are steeped in cultural ideas of beauty, class and domestic space through their commercial accessibility and price point; some are mass produced and inexpensive while others are unique and or “designer”.
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Fresh Flowers, oil on paper 2019 - 2020
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oil on paper 30" h x 22"w 2020
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oil on paper 30" h x 22"w 2020
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Fresh Flower #6 oil on paper, 30" x 22", 2019
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Fresh Flowers #4, oil on paper, 30"h x 22"w 2019

1 in 5

1 in 5, installation at Central Michigan University. Three watercolor, acrylic, collage paintings on paper mounted on a hand stenciled wallpaper reading 1 in 5, the sexual assault statistics on college campuses. Installation dimensions: 18’w, 10’ h, 2016
Paintings left to right:

Red Dress
acrylic paint and watercolor on paper
40” x 26”, 2016

Flower Dress
acrylic paint and watercolor on paper
60” x 40”, 2016

Rose Dress
acrylic paint, watercolor and collage on paper
40” x 26”, 2015

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1 in 5 installation view, Central Michigan University, 2016
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Flower Dress, 60"h x 40"w with hand stenciled wall. Acrylic and watercolor on paper.
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Rose Dress, acrylic paint, watercolor and collage on paper 40” x 26”, 2015
1-cmu wall.jpg

1 in 5, installation at Central Michigan University. Three watercolor, acrylic, collage paintings on paper mounted on a hand stenciled wallpaper reading 1 in 5, the sexual assault statistics on college campuses. Installation dimensions: 18’w, 10’ h, 2016 Paintings left to right: Red Dress acrylic paint and watercolor on paper 40” x 26”, 2016 Flower Dress acrylic paint and watercolor on paper 60” x 40”, 2016 Rose Dress acrylic paint, watercolor and collage on paper 40” x 26”, 2015
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Dresses

My figurative mixed media work explores the construction of gender through everyday objects and artifacts. The discussion of power and class, closely related to gender, play an important role in my work as well.
In my paintings of clothing, I examine the print, color, form and gender of the clothes to invite a dialogue about cultural norms and gender tropes.
My paintings are watercolor and acrylic often incorporating printmaking and collage with paint. I draw on the formal elements of scale, color and texture to reinforce the ideas in my work.

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Studio View with Custom printed fabric dress and paintings.
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Tell your Son to Behave, 12" x 9" watercolor on paper
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Yellow Dress, 12" x 9" watercolor on paper
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Flower Dress, watercolor on paper, 12" x 9"
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Flora and Fauna, diptych. 16” h x 24” w. watercolor on paper. 2016
06 Murphy Animal.jpg

Animal, watercolor and acrylic on paper, 12"h x 24"w diptych

Women in Black

Women in Black series
2016
silkscreen, watercolor and acrylic on paper
19 1/4" h x 13" w each

The “Women in Black” paintings (in a black silkscreened frame) I started in Michigan around the time of the 2016 election. I heard a story about women in Poland protesting the anti-choice legislation there and thousands of women left work, school, home,etc. and went into the streets all in black to protest. My series with the silkscreened frames with black clothing inside is my version of this protest after the 2016 election. I used back clothes from thrift stores, my closet, on line, friends clothes etc. The idea is that they are everyday women’s clothing. The laws controlling women’s bodies and choice effect everyday women…The clothes needn’t be formal mourning clothes.
I silkscreened the frame as the constant in the paintings then painted a different article of clothing in each frame.

08 Murphy Women in Black.jpg

Women in Black, series of mixed media paintings, silkscreen, acrylic and watercolor on paper, 2018
10 Murphy Women in Black - summer dress.jpg

29" h x 19"w, silkscreen, acrylic and watercolor on paper
09 Murphy Women in Black- leopard dress.jpg

Women in Black - 29" h x 19"w, silkscreen, acrylic and watercolor on paper
07 Murphy Nasty Woman.jpg

Nasty Woman, 29" h x 19"w, silkscreen, acrylic and watercolor on paper

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