I have always been a fan of Elizabeth Murray’s paintings. Maybe it is just the fun, the outrageous forms and colors, the silliness, the fine art – everything sort of coming together in one piece.
And they always look (and feel) like they were fun and engaging to work on. It is the sheer physicality of her paintings that really impress upon you when you see them “live.”
She always felt to me what a committed painter should be – smart, daring, resolute. And she pulled from everywhere – from Cezanne, from Pollock, from comic books, cartoons, to ordinary, everyday items like plants and coffee cups. Nothing was out of bounds.
She left the art world way too early (at 66) a number of years ago.
The painting above, called Excavation, by Willem DeKooning was the painting Elizabeth mentioned in the video above.
There is some additional info and an insightful interview with Elizabeth about her early painting influences at the site below.
Elizabeth Murray, 66, Artist of Vivid Forms, Dies
It’s upsetting to think of Murray being gone. She really knew how to paint a canvas and make you look and look, and then look some more.
Totally agree Dave. A real artists artist. Seems like those are becoming fewer and fewer.
I may have one of her early paintings about 1960 to 1965 but I do not know how to find her signature .If anyone knows how I can find it please leave a note.Thanks
Floyd – Why do you need to find her signature? – Doug