Elizabeth Murray (September 6, 1940 – August 12, 2007) was an influential American painter, printmaker, and draughtsman, known for her innovative use of shaped canvases. Her work is held in major public collections, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Pérez Art Museum Miami, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Born in Chicago to Irish-Catholic parents, Murray’s mother, who aspired to be a commercial artist, encouraged her artistic interests. Murray attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, graduating with a BFA in 1962, and earned her MFA from Mills College in 1964. Influenced by a wide range of artists, including Cézanne, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns, Murray developed a distinctive style that blended abstraction with emotional expression.
In 1967, she moved to New York City and quickly became a notable figure in the art scene. Her first major exhibition was in 1971 at the Whitney Museum of American Art. One of her early works, Children Meeting (1978), is a non-figurative painting that explores human emotion through an interaction of shapes, color, and lines. Murray’s signature style, which often involved the use of shaped canvases, was prominently featured in works like Falling (1976), part of the Pérez Art Museum Miami’s collection. Her works are celebrated for their vibrant colors, dynamic compositions, and exploration of form.
Murray’s contributions to contemporary art made her one of the most recognized female artists of her time. Her work continues to resonate in the art world, and her legacy is reflected in the many prestigious collections that hold her pieces.
