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Rebecca Morris (born 1969 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an abstract painter who is known for quirky, casualist compositions using grid-like structures. In 1994 she wrote Manifesto: For Abstractionists and Friends of the Non-Objective, a tongue-in-cheek but sincere response to contemporary criticism of abstract painting. She is currently a professor of painting and drawing at UCLA. Prior to that, she lectured at numerous colleges including Columbia University, Bard College, Pasadena City College, USC's School of Fine Arts, and the University of Chicago.

Early life and education

Morris was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, which she says is a place that inspires some of her work. She received her BA from Smith College and her MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Work

Morris's artistic process may be characterized as casual, fluid and spontaneous. Inspired by craft and decoration, Morris explores the idiosyncrasy and imperfection of the artist’s hand. "I was always interested in creating systems and plan-type drawings." she said in a 2014 interview. "As a child, I drew floor plans of split-level houses, and plans for cities and towns. I also drew imaginary family trees, which were based on a grid-like system, but they featured cat families instead of people families." Morris avoids describing subject matter as she does not want to dictate what interpretations her painted forms may elicit. Some of her influences are the physical space of her studio, Raoul De Keyser, Joan Mitchell, James Meyer, and Terry Riley. Some compositions are made working flat on the floor, and many include colors that suggest a kind of interior of overlapping paintings, objects, and arrangements of items on a wall. Her artistic practice has been likened to Laura Owens's free sense of historical reference, as well as Frank Stella and Richard Tuttle.

Awards

Morris is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and has also received awards from The City of Los Angeles, Tiffany Foundation, The Durfee Foundation, Art Matters, and the Illinois Arts Council.

Exhibitions

Morris has exhibited at 2014 Whitney Biennial (New York), The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston, Made in LA, Hammer Museum, The Kunstmuseum St. Gallen (Switzerland), Friedrich Petzel (New York), The Hessel Art Museum (New York), The Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), Santa Monica Museum of Art, and Night Gallery (Los Angeles). She has shown with Mary Boone and Bortolami in New York.

References

1. ^ Butler, Sharon L. (June 3, 2011). "ABSTRACT PAINTING: The New Casualists". brooklynrail.org. Retrieved Sep 10, 2020.
2. ^ "Rebecca Morris". Whitney Biennial 2014. 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
3. "Faculty : UCLA Department of Art". www.art.ucla.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
4. ^ "LECTURE: Rebecca Morris". The Department of Visual Arts, The University of Chicago. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-09.
5. Cahill, Zachary. "Rebecca Morris". Artforum.
6. Samet, Jennifer (November 15, 2014). "Beer with a Painter: Rebecca Morris". Hyperallergic. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
7. Butler, Sharon (October 13, 2020). "EMAIL: Rebecca Morris writes regarding Raoul De Keyser". Retrieved May 31, 2020.
8. Grattan, Nikki. "Rebecca Morris". In The Make.
9. Smith, Roberta (2011-01-06). "Rebecca Morris". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
10. "Rebecca Morris". Bortolami Gallery. 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2020.

External links

• Artist's official website
• Artist's works, as presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

• 1969 births
• Artists from Honolulu
• Living people
• Smith College alumni
• Painters from Los Angeles
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni
• 21st-century American women painters
• 21st-century American painters
• Casualist artists