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14D  The Detroit News | Friday, February 11, 2000 •

[[image - painting]]
Elizabeth Murray's "Could Be" is an example of symbols she uses. The fascination is trying to figure out what she means by them.



Artist's work grabs you with dynamite appeal

By Joy Hakanson Colby
Detroit News Art Critic

ART REVIEW
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Elizabeth Murray
Susanne Hilberry Gallery,
555 S. Old Woodward,
Birmingham, through April 8 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Call (248) 6422-8250.

BIRMINGHAM — Colors are jolting, the parts don't fit together, and the works are so huge they threaten to bust through the roof.

Yes, as regulars on Metro Detroit's art scene will have guessed, New York painter Elizabeth Murray is back in town at her usual stop, the Susanne Hilberry Gallery. Her show may be small numerically—four 10- and 11-foot canvas constructions and one work on paper. But these few pieces fill the gallery to overflowing with raw energy.

As always, the things that sound wrong about her work add up to a dynamite viewing experience. The large size, the jarring colors and the disparate pieces command attention. In fact the work grabs you and won't let go.

A large part of the fascination is trying to figure out what Murray means by the symbols she uses — the oozing form in Maybe True, the giddy appendages in Could Be, the flattened tubes in Rescue.

As it turns out, she leaves the images open for viewer interpretation. Rescue, for instance, could be an overturned cup on a table, a ride in an amusement park, a musical instrument or anything else you might imagine.

Murray's work represents a breakdown of reality. The brazen, symbolic quality harks back to cartoons as an early influence. Her favorites included Donald Duck, Little Lulu and Dick Tracy. While these characters don't show through, her mark has a generic cartoon quality.

Rather than stretching traditional canvases, Murray builds elaborate wood structures. She stapes areas of canvas onto the wood and often paints on both materials. The edges of her works run free, making it necessary to install the paints on big walls so as not to cut off the energy.

Shipping and installing Murray's giants is a challenge for any gallery. Thank heavens for the Hilberry, which has been showing this top artist's work for years.


Tomorrow!              
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Tara Lipinski
1999 - 2000 Tour                       
Kristi Yamaguchi