Photography: Seamus Murphy's Strange Love

We sit down with Seamus Murphy to discuss his latest book Strange Love

This extraordinary work, captured between 2005 and 2019, challenges the conventional narrative of East versus West and offers a striking visual exploration of life in post-industrial America and Russia.

Through his lens, Murphy uncovers unexpected similarities between the two nations. It forces us to question our assumptions and rethink geopolitical divides, prompting a fundamental question: are the lives shaped by such immense power really all that different? Can we even distinguish between them in a set of photographs? With its deliberate sequencing—U.S., Russia, U.S., Russia—Murphy’s work disorients and engages the viewer, and it becomes easy to lose one’s bearings.

Looking at the book, how often will you get it wrong?

Strange Love serves as a timely reflection on the fragile, sometimes indistinguishable line separating the two countries. While the powerful engage in high-stakes political games, Murphy’s collection focuses on the overlooked lives of working people—those who always pay the price.

In his latest book he not only redefines borders but reframes our understanding of the human experience on both sides of this deeply troubled and consequential divide.

Murphy has won seven World Press Photo awards for his work and has been published in major international outlets, including The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine. His photographs are featured in the collections of The Getty Museum and the Imperial War Museum.

• Book publications: He has authored and co-authored several photography books, including:
• A Darkness Visible: Afghanistan (2008): Chronicles his 12 trips to Afghanistan between 1994 and 2007.
• The Hollow of the Hand (2015): A collaboration with musician PJ Harvey, which combines her poetry with his photos from Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Washington D.C..
• The Republic (2016): A portrait of his native Ireland, released on the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising.
• Strange Love (2025): Compares visual similarities in the everyday lives of people in post-industrial America and Russia.
• Filmmaking: Murphy has directed films for Channel 4 and The New Yorker. His feature-length documentaries include:
• A Dog Called Money (2019): A documentary about his creative partnership and travels with PJ Harvey.
• The Peculiar Sensation of Being Pat Ingoldsby (2022): Explores the life and work of the maverick Irish poet, Pat Ingoldsby.
• Collaborations: His long-term working relationship with PJ Harvey began in 2010 after she saw his book on Afghanistan. In addition to their book and feature film, he directed 12 short music films for her album Let England Shake, winning a Q Award for the music films for her next album, The Hope Six Demolition Project.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, London, United Kingdom