Interviews from Yale University Radio WYBCX
Elizabeth Munro
Elizabeth Munro was born in London in 1939 and currently lives near Porthmadog, in North Wales. She is a painter and art/life practitioner. She was influenced early on by Harry Thubron, her inspirational mentor at Leeds College of Art- and later by the groundbreaking Judson Dance Theatre where she participated in various performances. Arlene Rothlein, Malcolm Goldstein, and Philip Corner became good friends. Yvonne Rainer was a powerful influence.
Her paintings have been exhibited in various galleries in the U.K. and New York. In the Eighties in Upstate New York she met and collaborated with Linda “Rosita” Montano, performance artist, as well as becoming a friend of hers for life.
Elizabeth Munro calls her work “Survival Art” and now sees it as a healing response to her childhood sexual abuse. She attributes her freedom of movement in painting- and the painting itself- inspired by the influence of Sam Francis, Jackson Pollock and the Abstract expressionists-in helping to create a Lifeline for her: for escape, survival, and healing from early child sexual abuse.
At the moment she has her studio in Wales and plans to do whatever she wants to next.
Currently reading: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche, Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel, Look At Me by Anita Brookner and Self- Help by Lorrie Moore.
Scroll painting by Elizabeth Munro - ‘Millstream’, early spring, pink rushing water, Woodstock N.Y.