Elizabeth Murray

The Artist Disscusses Her Work and Influences

Elizabeth Murray has been moving forward fearlessly during more than 4 decades constantly inventing new shapes for the unique style of painting for which she is known. Her decision to become an artist was the result of an encounter with a still life by Cezanne at the Art Institute of Chicago as a student.

Subsequently many artists had an impact on her thinking, the Surrealists, deKooning, and Guston, just to name a few. Earlier influences were the Sunday comics, which she grew up with, as well as popular culture in general. Remarkably she was able to distill all these impulses into an art that was distinctly her own. The Museum of Modern Art acknowledged her position in contemporary art with a large retrospective exhibition curated by Robert Storr. She died in 2007.

Murray and Storr discuss the many milestones of her development as an artist before pertinent works in this radiant exhibition. This video provides rare insight into a significant artist's approach and progress.