Elizabeth Taylor and the Gammage Auditorium

"I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them." - ET

Available as:

Fine Art Print on Paper with 1" White Border for Easy Framing  

Each print is hand-signed by the artist. The 12"x12" print contains a 10"x10" image.

Limited Edition Giclee Print on Canvas with Black Frame, 20"x20"

This special series of 50 Limited Edition Series Prints are exact replicas of the original paintings. They include a certificate of authenticity signed by the printer and the artist, and are hand-signed and numbered. The frame is black and sits 1 1/2" from the wall.

About the Painting:

This is the fourth painting of the Frankly Speaking series, and once again the design for the hat came first. The Gammage Auditorium in Tempe, Arizona, was the initial inspiration for this painting. While researching this building I discovered that this was Frank Lloyd Wright’s last public commission before he died and that he didn’t live long enough to see it completed.

The working title for this piece was originally The Drama Queen because the title could really only refer to one person… Elizabeth Taylor! Originally, I had convinced myself that I could never paint Liz Taylor because so many other people already had. I also worried that Liz’s image, like that of Marilyn Monroe, might suffer from “visual frostbite” brought about from overexposure. Judging from the hugely positive response to the piece so far, it was clear that this was not the case. Liz continues to fascinate people.

When painting an icon like Liz, one must consider why they became iconic. In her case, it was for many reasons: her multiple and tumultuous marriages; her many health scares; her passionate temperament; her talent as an actress; and, of course, her stunning beauty. In particular, she was known for her hypnotic violet coloured eyes. Painting Liz’s eyes is no easy task and I must have poured over a hundred pictures to find the right colour match.

To make this version of Liz memorable, I had to find a way to make this Drama Queen stand out. I decided to paint Liz as she appeared in her signature role of Cleopatra (who, coincidentally, was a real-life drama Queen.)

I also wanted to respect the architecture of the building and make it truly identifiable. Eventually, I was able to marry the personality of the building with the personality of the model and have them exist in harmony. It really helped that Cleopatra’s home, like the Gammage Auditorium, is in the desert and both exist under a sky, which, like the life of Liz Taylor, could be described as both dramatic and brooding.

In the foreground, we see a wash of light and shadows that make her visage shine like a diamond in the desert.   

-Karen Robb

About Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)

Elizabeth Taylor was a British actor, businesswoman, and humanitarian. She starred in more than fifty movies over almost forty years as an actor. Taylor was the first actor to create her own fragrance and jewelry brand. She married eight times, including a US senator, and she experienced serious health problems through most of her life. She was one of the first actors to take part in AIDS awareness campaigns, testifying before Congress and critiquing US presidents for not doing more to combat the disease. Taylo'rs filmography includes historic pieces such as Cleopatra, Cat on A Hot Tin Roof, Last Summer, and The Taming of the Shrew.

"You just do it. You force yourself to get up. You force yourself to put one foot before the other, and God damn it, you refuse to let it get to you. You fight. You cry. You curse. Then you go about the business of living. That’s how I’ve done it. There’s no other way." - ET