Hot Day

1980
Murfin, Michael
Michael Murfin was born in the agricultural fenlands and still has his home there. This environment has provided the subject matter for much of his work; in the early 1980s he made a series of paintings of two brothers who worked on a nearby farm: 'What distinguished them from the neighbouring farmers was that they still did most of their work by hand. It seemed to me almost as if they had been locked in that time just before the great modern mechanisation of agriculture. It is characteristic of the area that people keep themselves to themselves; but here, there seemed to be a particularly strong sense of isolation, from the village and the outside world. Ideas for each work were gathered from snippets of gossip or fleeting observations; also recollections of my grandfather's life and attitudes... I was interested in the fact that they were brothers and I tried to consider the situation of people living together for their entire lives, never moving away from home.'
  • Artwork Details: 107 x 152cm
  • Edition:
  • Material description: oil on canvas
  • Credit line: © the artist
  • Theme: Figurative
  • Medium: Painting
  • Accession number: AC 5003

Share

Close
Artists
Artworks
Exhibitions
Articles
Other

The Arts Council Collection is the UK's most widely seen collection of modern and contemporary art.

With more than 8,000 works by over 2,000 artists, it can be seen in exhibitions and public displays across the country and beyond. This website offers unprecedented access to the Collection, and information about each work can be found on this site.