Barbara Edwards Contemporary is pleased to present an intimate exhibition of small-scale works by renowned Canadian sculptor Robert Murray. The works examine the relationship of forms within his monumental sculpture FERUS (right). In works dating from 1963 to the present, Murray experiments with variations of FERUS in small sculpture, paintings and woodblocks, altering form and colour combinations to create compositions of unusual force.

The project room presents a separate but equally compelling exhibition of small en plein air drawings, part of a ritual practice, which clearly informs the larger work. The scenes often depict areas in and around Georgian Bay where the artists maintains a summer residence and studio on Look Out Island, Pointe Baril.

Robert Murray, considered one of the most significant sculptors of his generation, was born in Vancouver in 1936. He studied at the University of Saskatchewan's Regina College of Art and was an active participant in the Emma Lake workshops led by critic Clement Greenberg, Jack Shadbolt, Will Barnet, John Ferren and his longtime friend Barnett Newman. Newman encouraged Murray to move to New York in 1960, he currently resides in West Grove, Pennsylvania.

Murray's work is included in major museum and private collections throughout Canada and the U.S. including: the Whitney Museum; National Gallery of Canada; Art Gallery of Ontario; Montreal Museum of Fine Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to name only a few. Murray was honoured with a major retrospective by the National Gallery of Canada in 1999 and received the Order of Canada in 2000.

Click here to view an interview with Barbara Edwards opening night, by Manny Neubacher, Toronto Life.

barbara@becontemporary.com