Born in Chicago, Elizabeth Murray was a pioneer in painting. Educated at the Art Institute of Chicago, Murray broke from art historic tradition and began painting on sculpted canvases. Her works broke free from the idea that painting is two dimensional. Murray’s work juts out from the wall and is pieced together making her paintings full of sculptural elements and movement.
Elizabeth Murray emerged during the Post-Minimalist art movement. The artists from this movement were trying to revive art with narrative and personal elements. Because she was loyal to painting, her work was difficult to categorize. Murray was inspired by cubism and artists such as Cezanne, Picasso and Gris. Through her work, Murray helped reinvent painting as a whole.
Murray’s work, Art Part, in the Museum’s collection is a great representation of her work. This work appears dismantled and rebuilt with imperfections; it’s as if the work exploded and little fragments are missing. There is a cartoonish quality to the big green hand that grasps the paintbrush that is iconic to her work. Her work is powerful, yet playful and always interesting.
Murray said of her work, “Out of shattered pieces, I believed I could make a whole. This applied to my art and my life.”