Visual art / Afterimages of Familiar Tales, Jessica Murtagh. At Grainger Gallery, Fyshwick, until December 1. Reviewed by SOPHIA HALLOWAY.

Jessica Murtagh is an early career artist on an exceptional trajectory.

Based in Adelaide, Murtagh graduated from the University of SA with a Master’s degree in design (contemporary art) in 2022. Since then, she has exhibited at the NGV Triennial and her work has been acquired by the NGV, the Powerhouse Museum and Parliament House.

Her latest exhibition, Afterimages of Familiar Tales, at Grainger Gallery, gives some insight into why her work is garnering so much interest.

The exhibition is predominantly focused on Murtagh’s amphorae. A traditional vessel shape of ancient Greek pottery, these vessels were originally rendered in clay and depicted narratives of heroic and mythological themes, as well as everyday Greek life. Murtagh has translated this form into blown glass which she illustrates using sandblasting and engraving techniques. The benefit of glass as a material is the greater capacity for light to shine through. Murtagh’s vessels appear to be lit from within.

At first glance, the classical form of these vessels, cyan-and-white colouring, ornate decoration and Grecian drapery of the women figures gives the impression of a more traditional vessel. On closer inspection, you’re struck by familiar motifs that depict a scene of modern life.

In Burning the Candle at Both Ends, stacked boxes with the familiar logos of Amazon and Australia Post and a computer with the notification “email full” denote a typical office scene.

The ancient Greeks’ desire to capture scenes from life on amphorae is mirrored by our contemporary desire to document our lives in the form of selfies and flat lays. In Brunch Content #melbournefoodies, a woman photographs a cafe scene using a smart phone, a now-ubiquitous device, and the telltale tap point terminal captures the transition into a cashless society.

Murtagh’s amphorae make connections across time. Their ancient counterparts reflected the time in which they were made, capturing seemingly mundane moments that went on to be culturally and historically influential. Likewise, Murtagh’s amphorae depict scenes of quotidian life which, with hindsight, communicate profound shifts in society and capture the collective culture of a time.

In Supermarket Queues of the Past, a woman works at a supermarket checkout, wearing a face mask and separated by a large acrylic safety screen from the shopper, who pushes a grocery cart filled with bulk toilet paper. These are future artefacts, depicting moments from our modern life that future societies will look back on and consider as curious or profound, much in the way we look back on artefacts of ancient civilisations.

A series of decorative vessels showcase Murtagh’s interest in botany with ornate floral imagery of gingko leaves, ivy and sweet peas in various colours and gilded with gold and silver. Visually, these works are in sharp relief to the amphorae, but they are connected by the making process, all vessels being produced by blowing glass, sandblasting and engraving. They showcase the range of Murtagh’s practice – not only her command of glass but her exceptional draughtsmanship which renders the image. Jessica Murtagh’s Afterimages of Familiar Tales is an instant classic.