The Singular Art of Julian Murphy is a large-format art book that was published by the Erotic Print Society, among the last large-scale projects they produced. Having first been showcased in Skin Two magazine in 1995, Murphy had by 1999 produced enough material to fill a book, and The Singular Art provided an opportunity for his work to be seen both in quantity and in context.

As he writes in the Artists’s Introduction to the book, ‘Desire is in the mind. And the stimuli that create desire in people are as different as the people themselves and their individual thoughts. These objects of desire can be inanimate as well as animate. For many of us, it is hard to draw distinctions. And why should we?
     All I do is try to illustrate that sex is a part of life, not a thing apart. That – for me at least – many everyday objects have an erotic quality which accesses my sensual subconscious. If others respond to my interpretations, I am delighted. If they raise a smile of understanding, even more so. I want people to take what I do seriously – but not too seriously. And if it leads to more of us openly discussing what does (and doesn’t) stimulate us, well that will please me too.
     I am often asked for my influences. Escher and Giger have played their part, but I also find inspiration for what I do all around me. And I would like to think that the end results stand apart and have a life of their own.
     The discipline in the images is obvious: my technique is precise and painstaking. But then, I am a great believer in discipline being a starting point to artistic as well as emotional liberation. As an artist, I do take great pains: I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labours.’