The Yale School of Art presents an exhibition of oil paintings and works on paper by Malcolm Morley, one of the seminal figures of international contemporary art. Exhibition on view January 31–March 31, 2012, Tuesday–Sunday, 1–6 pm.
Malcolm Morley in a Nutshell: The Fine Art of Painting 1954–2012 comprises fifteen paintings—including two painted installations being exhibited for the first time, seven watercolors, and a drawing, all selected from the expansive output of this paradigm-changing artist.
Works in the exhibition range from large-scale canvases such as Cristoforo Colombo (1965), Camels and Goats (1980), and Rat Tat Tat (2001), to smaller sketches such as Hollywood Film Stars and Homes Foldout (1973) and back to the two new and previously unseen painted installations—Biggles and The Spitfire (both 2012). The exhibition centers on the recurring thems of disaster and chaos in Morley’s oeuvre (forces symbolized by automotive mayhem, beleaguered boats, and speeding, crashing aircraft) while offering glimpses of its other more whimsical dimensions.
Although he has refused to settle into any consistent style or follow any predictable path, Morley has nonetheless participated in or anticipated major art movements. Notably these associations include the precendent-setting example of his early 1960s “Photo-Realist” paintings (the artist preferred the label “Super Realist”), and his broad-brushed, image-dense canvases of the 1980s, frequently cited as precursors to “Neo-Expressionism” or “Bad Painting.”
A fully illustrated catalogue of the exhibition, featuring an interview with Morley and an essay by the curator Robert Storr, is forthcoming.
Mr. Morley will speak at the School of Art on January 30, 2012.
Established in 2009, the Yale School of Art’s 32 Edgewood Avenue Gallery presents a year-round program of special exhibitions that bring examples of vital contemporary art from around the world to New Haven. The School’s gallery at 1156 Chapel Street focuses on work by students, including both those in the School of Art and Yale undergraduates, as well as loan exhibitions curated by students and faculty. Three-Card Monte, the current show, was curated by School of Art students. Contributing to the University’s rich visual-art offerings, these shows are free and open to the public. For information, visit www.art.yale.edu