Elizabeth Murray was born in Chicago in 1940. Her aptitude to art started at an early age. Elizabeth Murray once recalled recognizing the power of color around pre-school age as her teacher drew a line in red across paper. Born to a middle-class family, her childhood was marked by making ends meet and occasions of homelessness. Both her childhood and difficulty later in college due to her social background as well as her gender in a male dominated arena are accredited as influencing her emotionally charged work. Elizabeth Murray recieved her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1958-1962 and then went on to achieve her MFA from  Mills College, Oakland, CA. Murray is considered an innovator of her time by bringing painting to life and redefining it in a time when painting was considered dead (70's and 80's). Her works move from abstract, figurative, or pop art and occasional hints of animation,  employing multiple forms such as wood, canvas, or paper illustrated in oils, pastels, or watercolors. By shaping the canvas, exploring use of various materials and paint use, Murray's works demonstrate movement in a rise and fall or twisting in and of itself. The distortion of form of Murray's creations are intensely emotional, narratives of her life. They are described by many as reflections of the complex nature of relationships, love, and examinations of painting itself. Murray once described the emotion in many of her works as defined by the color and also the movement. When asked why the constant changing, Murray stated that as she changed ( in her work) and things around her changed then one thing would lead to another. Murray's works are featured in multiple Art Galleries and notably collected by some of the art world's elite. Elizabeth Murray is also the reciept of many prestigous awards, such as:

1986   Skowhegan Medal for Painting, Maine. 
 
1992   Honorary Doctorate. School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 
 
1992   Inducted as a member of the American Institute of Arts and Letters. New York, NY. 
 
1993   Larry Aldrich Prize in Contemporary Art. 
 
1993   Honorary Degree, Rhode Island School of Design. 
 
2001   Honorary Doctorate, New School University, New York. 
 
2002   National Artist Award, Anderson Rand Art Center. Snowmass Village, Colorado. 

Here is an example of work by Elizabeth Murray entitled "Pigeon".