Ellie Murphy in ‘To Be a Lady’ at 1285 Avenue of the Americas Art Gallery

Ellie Murphy, 'Omega Female,' acrylic yarn, cotton and steel, 2012.
Ellie Murphy, ‘Omega Female,’ acrylic yarn, cotton and steel, 2012.

Ellie Murphy’s ‘Omega Female’ is a standout in ‘To Be A Lady,’ a diverse group show of work by 45 female artists at the 1285 Avenue of the Americas Art Gallery.  Using acrylic yarn, cotton, and steel in one of her signature large yarn sculptures, Murphy creates a figure as totemic as it is folksy, suggesting a anthropomorphized sea creature with long tentacles as well as a prairie settler with brown braid and print-patterned, pillow-like head.  (Through Jan 18th).