Why Painting (Traveller's Umbrella)

1987

American, 1940 - 2007

Murray questions the relevance of painting in the title of this work, but also by taking as her subject an exploded umbrella. Umbrellas, like paintings, are typically made of fabric, and when subjected to high wind, can be contorted beyond usefulness. The traditional format of painting is likewise stretched to its physical limits in this work, a wry commentary on the distress the genre has had to endure over the years.

Oil on canvas (triptych)

94 x 130 x 23 1/2 in. (238.8 x 330.2 x 59.7cm)

Gift of the Virginia and Bagley Wright Collection, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum

2014.25.50

Provenance: [Paula Cooper Gallery, New York, New York]; purchased from gallery by Virginia and Bagley Wright, Seattle, Washington, March 21, 1988

Photo: Eduardo Calderón

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistoryLawrence, Kansas, Spencer Museum of Art, New Painting/New York, Aug. 21 - Oct. 2, 1988 (Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Nov. 23,1988 - Jan. 15, 1989). Text by Kay Larson. No cat. no., unpaginated.

Bellingham, Washington, Western Gallery, Western Washington University, Private Art/Public Visions, May 1 - May 27, 1989

Columbus, Ohio, Wexner Center for the Arts, The Ohio State University, Elizabeth Murray: Recent Work, Nov. 16, 1991 - Feb. 28, 1992. Text by Sarah Rogers-Lafferty. No Cat. no., reproduced, unpaginated.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Modern Art Galleries changeover, Feb. 1, 1993 - Jan. 31, 1994

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, The Virginia and Bagley Wright Collection of Modern Art, Mar. 4, 1999 - May 5, 1999. Text by Trevor Fairbrother. No cat. no., reproduced p. 188.

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, City of Tomorrow: Jinny Wright and the Art That Shaped a New Seattle, Oct. 23, 2020 - Jan. 18, 2021.

Published ReferencesIshikawa, Chiyo, ed. A Community of Collectors: 75th Anniversary Gifts to the Seattle Art Museum. Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 2007; p. 54, reproduced p. 56.

Biehle, Melanie. Modern and Contemporary Artwork Moving to SAM. on Seattle Refined, online. http://seattlerefined.com/lifestyle/modern-and-contemporary-artwork-moving-to-sam, reproduced.

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