Inspired by LBTY: Liberty Maze by Conor Murgatroyd
The Yorkshire born artist turns his brush to Liberty LBTY. Fragrance’s zesty English garden scent
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Inspired by LBTY: Liberty Maze by Conor Murgatroyd
The Yorkshire born artist turns his brush to Liberty LBTY. Fragrance’s zesty English garden scent
By: Team LibertyInterview by George Serventi
A deep-rooted passion for artistic expression lies at the heart of Liberty, from the Tudor foundations of our store upwards and outwards. The exquisite world of Liberty’s LBTY. Fragrance is no exception, guided by a passion for creativity and collaboration, celebrating history and heritage with an eye to the future.
And what better way to explore the intricacies of the Liberty’s LBTY. Fragrance collection than by continuing our close collaboration with the creative world? This year, we’re tasking a series of contemporary creatives with reimagining each scent through their unique artistic media as part of our Inspired by LBTY. series
Drawing inspiration from complex swathes of art history and philosophy, Bradford born artist Conor Murgatroyd’s creations have a poetic, deeply considered aesthetic sensibility.
Describing his creations as putting “reality and realism back into the fantasy that surrounds our post-modern world”, each piece encapsulates Murgatroyd’s own meditations on modern life.
For Liberty LBTY. Fragrance’s latest collaboration, Murgatroyd turned his surrealist references, metaphysical influence and expressive palette towards Liberty Maze, with the resulting artwork contemplating ideas of imagination and memory that intertwine with scent.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your work?
The piece I’ve made inspired by Liberty LBTY. Fragrance’s Liberty Maze is basically an artist’s garden. It is an evening picture of an artist with his muse, walking with the painting that’s just been completed. The objects and things that cohabit the space are sort of real, but not real at the same time.
There are many different references. The main references are to Giorgio de Chirico in this specific piece, because of his idea about metaphysics, and that’s a very strong element in my work. I like to think that my painting is in a landscape, and the ideas of his metaphysical world bleed into my work.
I like to think about the fact that perfume can transport you to a different place in time. It can take you back to a memory, to remind you of a relative past, and someone that you love.
This painting does feature me and my wife, and it’s almost like an aspirational vision, a clairvoyant vision. It’s almost a premonition. Maybe it’s a vision into the future. And this is what I feel like. Memories can be triggered by perfumes and also by different ideologies and philosophies.
What references or themes have you blended into this painting?
This painting is a mixture of all the different references that I have in my current painting practice, especially with the floral tones of the perfume. I’ve always been interested in painting flowers and still life has always been a prominent theme within my work.
How does your painting reflect modern life?
We live through screens and the internet, and people don’t really put that down to stand and look. That’s what painting does. It’s a testament to time. It makes you stop and actually just sit and look at something still, which is something that we don’t do anymore. I feel like this painting, especially with the inspiration I got from the flowers, plays into my current area of research.
I do feel like now, in modern times, everything is just fantasy on top of fantasy. I think that’s the main point of my work these days, to put some realism into the fantasy. And the way to do that is to use levels of super-surreality and surrealism, to a certain extent. My paintings are stages on which different people play out and interact with different symbols and metaphors.
Does transcendence play a role in your art?
Absolutely. I don’t think we live in a transcendental society anymore. But that is part of my work. You can be religious or into philosophy. I think it’s good to have something to look up to, something to strive toward. Painting, for me, is fundamentally about that.
How do you stay motivated to paint?
There’s a motivating force in life and in the spiritual world that pushes us to do specific things. Whether it is how we’re inclined to behave or believe in something greater. I don’t think you become an artist. I think some people are just built to think in a certain way. Eventually, you reach a point where you realise putting your meaning into existence through art is the only way forward.
How do you feel when you paint?
I feel a varied range of emotions. I used to feel very angry when I painted. It made me insulated, very introverted. But now I see it as therapeutic. Being a painter is almost like being a psychiatrist, especially when focusing on your internal metaphysical world, with all its obscure references. That’s how I find meaning in those things.
There’s a deep yearning to be understood and to be seen. Especially if you’re someone who’s deeply knowledgeable and obsessed with history, art, philosophy, even politics. That’s one of the reasons I make art. To translate that wealth of knowledge into pictures.
How has your perspective evolved over time?
I used to paint what was in front of me. But now I paint what’s inside me as well, my imagination. That’s why I’m so drawn to surrealism and early metaphysical art. De Chirico, especially, makes sense in my current context.
How would you sum up the essence of your work in one sentence?
The essence of my work is to put reality and realism back into the fantasy that surrounds our post-modern world of screens, internet and television. Painting transcends all things. It is historic and unchanging. It forces people to stop and look. In the context of my work, I’ve learned that my story does have worth.
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