"Patch & Paint" - Richard Allen Morris
by Marilyn Mitchell
Whether it conjures up the taste of super sweet icing or the chill of a summer ice cream cone on a blistering day, Richard Allen Morris’ work stimulates the taste buds. His work is probably the only art that makes me want to stick out my tongue and feel.
There are three reasons I think Morris is a stand out artist. Number one, he keeps inventing different works using his theme of thick, abstract paint. For a lesser artist, a few paintings in this direction and they would have run out of ideas.
Morris keeps shifting the harmonies, skipping through the variations and putting out interesting compositions each time. His inventive sensibility seems infinite. One of the signs of a true artist is that as they age, their works grow in confidence and creativity. Morris may not even be at his peak yet!
Number two, he is immune to trends. Morris works on an intimate scale. None of his works aims to overwhelm you with its size or dominate your visual field. Think about contemporary art and how it has gotten bigger and bigger and bigger. Museums have grown to be larger than football fields to house the supersized contemporary mentality. His work is created on a humane scale so most works are no more than a foot long in any direction. There isn’t a soul that can say they cannot find room for a Morris. I, for one, would want one in every room.
Number three, each piece is distinct and resemble jewels of precious colors without the need to strive for perfection. Morris makes paintings which often exude pure delight. His titles let us know that they are not all fun & games. One called “Lament” does have a pensive and quiet feel. By being able to touch a wide range of emotional states, Morris finds limitless ways to work with paint.
R.B. STEVENSON GALLERY
7661 Girard Ave #201
La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
858.459.3917
Exhibition dates: June 11 - July 24, 2010