Richard Murrin: A Life of Realism, Travel, and Photography

Richard Murrin, a contemporary realist artist and photographer based in Kent, England, has spent over fifty years merging painting, photography, and imagination. Born in Bromley, Kent in 1948, he studied at Hammersmith and Camberwell Colleges of Art and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. His career includes illustrations for newspapers and books, storyboards, digital illustration, and guest lecturing in Art and Astronomy. He exhibited at Blackheath Gallery, Queens Gallery, Window Gallery (1985-1990), and later at Strand and Menier Galleries (2014-2019). Since 2022, his photography has been shown at Decagon Gallery (Brooklyn), Art Square Gallery (New York), Aurea Photo Gallery (London), and others. Murrin began photographing with his mother's 1924 Brownie Box Camera No 2 in 1957, traveling through France, Belgium, and Holland. He later used a half-frame camera from Woolworths until it was destroyed in 1962. His photographic interests include landscapes, atmosphere, architectural detail, and everyday life. He cites Caravaggio's lighting as an influence and aims to 'speak volumes without saying a word.' His most meaningful photograph is of his late wife, taken in 1977 at Hiram Maxim's derelict gun testing range. Another notable image, 'The Indian Window,' was captured in 2015 at Lodi Gardens in Delhi, a happy accident of perfect symmetry.