Darian N. Murray
Research:
when the ocean talks to the rain
USING WATER AS AN MOTIF TO DEPICT REBIRTH THROUGH BAPTISM AND THE CONSTANT CHANGES WITHIN MY OWN LIFE. WHILE EXPLORING IDEAS AND THEMES SUCH AS GENERATIONAL TRAUMA, FRAGMENTATION, MEMORIES, AND DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS TO FIND NEW WAYS TO MOVE FORWARD.
During this exploration, I found that many cultures use water for religious ceremonies, healing, and listening to the water as a way to inform them of something bigger involving the environment. An old saying regarding baptism from the elders "the old burying ground," a name for the ritual of baptism in which the candidate is symbolically buried in Christ, where sins are washed away, and one is raised to "walk in newness of life." This thesis is an evolving journal that showcases my growth and informs me how to move forward in healthy and productive ways while using baptism as a metaphor.
Statement
Darian Murray creates fragmented realities that build off of personal experiences within his own life—pulling from popular culture and memory to depict spirituality, race, and sexuality within his art as a way to create a utopia. Using mixed media conveys a stream of consciousness that relies on old cartoons, light-heartedness, and bright colors to camouflage issues and problems like inadequacy, identity, and the idea of memories and their significance.
Film & Video (BFA) Students