I recently got in touch with Benjamin Murphy, the man behind alldestructo.blogspot.com, and some wonderfully striking graphic art using pretty much only black electrical tape. Here is my little interview.
Where are you based and what do you define yourself as (creatively)
Hi, I’m based in Manchester (England) but I’m from a place called Ilkley origionally. I would class myself as an artist who draws, some people have described my work as sculpture but I don’t really agree.
When did you first starting using tape in your art? How did it come about?
I stole the idea off a friend during my BA, I was doing an illustration project that involved using as many different mediums as possible, and he was drawing on his bedroom wall with tape when we were drunk.
What kind of tape(s) do you use in your work? Where do you get them from?
I have only really been using black (and sometimes white) electrical tape, which I just get from a hardware store. But recently I’ve been experimenting with masking tape and brown parcel tape, which I am undecided about as yet.
What do you love about using tape?
I love how it’s still quite a new medium, and much of the processes I am discovering I’m having to work out for myself, as there isn’t really any point of reference to work from. I also love how definite and precise the line is, as with tape the line is exactly the same colour all the way through the drawing, whereas with paint or ink it deviates and some areas are darker/ lighter than others.
What do you hate about using tape?
I wouldn’t say I hated anything about it, but I sometimes wish it didn’t take so long.
What other mediums do you use in your work?
Well I draw in fineliner or biro in my sketchbook a lot. I also write a little and play around with photography.
I love your pieces on clear glass surfaces, its wicked how you can see the same reverse image on the other side, is this something that you planned or did it happen by accident?
Thanks. Yeah I like how the background is always changing and is completely un-controllable. Background isn’t something I really experiment with a lot, so I like how it’s created for me when I work on glass.
How long does it take you on average to do a big piece?
I guess between 12 -17 hours for the biggest ones, but that’s with a lot of playing around and not really getting much work done.
Do you draw them first / do studies or work directly onto the large surfaces?
No I never really plan anything, I’m quite spontaneous and I like to not really know how a drawing is going to turn out. I just work straight onto the wall, a lot of tape is ripped down again but it seems to be the only way I can get anything done. Also I’ve never really been good at making a drawing look like what I’m drawing from, so any kind of planning doesn’t really work.
What other artists / designers are you influenced by?
Well I’ve recently discovered Buffdiss (another link) (thanks to ilovestickytape.blogspot.com), who works in a similar way to myself, which is nice to see. I really like his Greek drawings and the settings in which he decides to work. I also really like David Foldvari and Francesca Woodman. I like their use of black and white, and the strange things that they decide to portray in their work.
Does the tape fall off / go bad over time? How long do your pieces stay up for normally?
Well the first tape drawing I did was a few years ago, but after that I stopped using it and have only recently picked it up again, so only time will tell I guess! The tape can peel off over time if the wall isn’t that smooth, or if it is stretched a little too much when being applied, but other than that it seems to get better with time.
Any parting words for tape lovers?
Yeah check out my website and email me to chat/ collaborate/ art-swap, I’m always interested in new ventures and would love to hear from you!
www.alldestructo.blogspot.com
benjaminmurphy@live.co.uk
