I am fascinated by the inexplicable link between the subject of hair and its influence on our social culture and personal identity. Much of my inspiration has derived from hair’s significant relevance to Black American culture and community. Topics concerning hair are numerous and layered in complexity. I view hair as a subject of both individuality and assimilation.
This exhibition features two ongoing evolving bodies of work that express my interests in the ideas of deception, desire and beauty as a form of decoration. Printed work is created using a photolithographic printing approach to mimic the realistic appearance of hair. Viewers are challenged to determine if what they see is real or merely illusion. I question how identity is informed and influenced through the context of a deceptively subversive, artificial product. I deliberately choose to use synthetic rather than real hair to better explore ideas of truth and fiction, imitation and the notion of a disposable or interchangeable identity.
About the artist
Althea Murphy Price received her Master of Arts in Printmaking and Painting from Purdue University in West Lafayette Indiana and her Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the Tyler School of Art Temple University in Philadelphia PA. She has presented and exhibited her work both nationally and internationally.
Juried and group exhibitions include:
- 2009 International Printmaking Exhibitions in Jingdezhen China
- 79th Annual International Print Center Competition in Philadelphia, PA
- 2007 and 2005 Boston Printmakers Exhibition
- 2009 Piccolo Spoleto Invitational Exhibition, in Charleston, SC
In addition to exhibiting her work, Murphy-Price has also been an artist in residence at the Frank Llyod Wright School, University of Hawaii, Hilo and The Vermont Studio Center. Her work has been featured in the 2009 Spring issue of Art Papers, and recent publications such as Printmaking: A Complete Guide to Materials and Process and Printmakers Today. She lives in Knoxville Tennessee where she is Assistant Professor in printmaking at University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Additional resources
- Flickr – Installation images
- Althea Murphy Price’s Website