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- Jun 24, 2023
- 2 min read

Robert Murray's "Hillary"

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SATURDAY EVENING POST

June 24th, 2023

Robert Murray, Hillary, 1983, painted aluminum, 12 x 48 x 35 in. (30.5 x 122 x 89 cm)

Installation view with Enigma in current exhibition.

Photo credit: Kyle Juron

Residing by the serene shores of Georgian Bay during the early 1980s bestowed upon Robert Murray a wealth of opportunities to immerse himself in the ethereal interplay of light, water, colour, and space that unfolded with each passing day and shifting season. Murray’s sculpture Hillary, created in 1983, named after his daughter, represented the culmination of his exploration of landscapes.

Drawing from his years of flying, the sculpture encapsulated the awe-inspiring vista of mountainous terrain as beheld from a lofty vantage point. A testament to his deep affinity for aviation, Murray’s choice of a vivid, high-visibility yellow hue, was reminiscent of the very colour that adorned his beloved aircraft, earning him the nickname “Yellow Bird” in Pointe au Baril.

Robert Murray, Chilcotin, 1969, painted Q-decking, 72 x 180 x 177.5 in.

Collection of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, purchased in 1974.

Photo credit: National Gallery of Canada.

However, the artistic prowess of Murray extended far beyond Hillary alone. Fourteen years prior, he conceived a work entitled Chilcotin, characterized by its minimalist and reductive approach, infused with a potent dose of linear energy that presented a stark contrast to the sensitive and intricately undulating forms found in Hillary. Chilcotin resembles a table, but it is six feet tall. “It’s a piece which has to be experienced,” says Murray. “There is a kind of Alice-In-Wonderland quality. It has the appearance of a table as you walk up to it, but by the time you’ve got there this literalness disappears and you almost feel you are shrinking.”

Robert Murray, Hillary, 1983, painted aluminum, 66 x 184 x 256 in. (167.6 x 467.4 x 650.2 cm)

Collection of Grounds For Sculpture.

Photo credit, top image: Robert Murray, bottom image: Donia Salem

His mastery of sculpture was evident in his ability to create these two distinct and impactful interpretations of the vastness of nature, demonstrating the immense potential for abstract sculpture within landscapes.

The fully realized, full-scale incarnation of Hillary now graces the esteemed collection of Grounds for Sculpture, in Hamilton Township, New Jersey.