Cloud 9 2002

Elizabeth Murray's "Cloud 9" is a world of shapes painted on a large scale, a bit like building with big, wonky lego. The painting is a jumble of forms, kind of squeezed together like a puzzle. The artist has built up these shapes through trial, error, and intuition. I imagine Murray, juggling colors and forms, asking herself, "What if this went here? What if that squiggled there?" The edges of the painting are jagged like torn cardboard, framing this little universe of objects. I can sense the artist’s presence in every brushstroke, every wobbly line, every color choice. This painting is a place where ambiguity and certainty play hide-and-seek. It's Murray having a conversation with herself – and with us – about how to make sense, or nonsense, of the world. Like other painters, she shows us that there are many ways of seeing, thinking, and experiencing life.