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Episode 14: Margaret Murphy

Margaret Murphy breaks down hyperfemininity as rebellion, the surprisingly in-person community around NFTs, existing as both surveyor and surveyed, the capitalism inherent in face filters, narcissism versus self-observation, dressing for other women, and the algorithm that gazes right into your soul.

Margaret Murphy is a visual artist based in Los Angeles, California. Her work focuses on topics like femininity, sexuality, and identity in a post-social media culture. Murphy’s art uses bright colors, lighting, props, and aesthetic accents to create visceral responses in the viewer. Be it a negative or positive reaction to her work, Murphy hopes her art prompts dialogues around gender, the male gaze, and contemporary beauty standards. Murphy’s use of photography spans over 15 years; however, she also creates image and text collages and most recently, digital art made with AI. Murphy earned her MFA from the University of Hartford’s Limited Photography Residency in 2021 and her work has been included in curated group exhibitions in Berlin, Los Angeles, New York City, and the Washington, DC, area. Murphy currently works as Head of Community for the Berlin-based gallery and online art platform, EXPANDED.ART, and she is an active member of the NFT community in Los Angeles.