Joel Morrison

Joel Morrison
Born	1976 Seattle, Washington
Nationality	United States
Known for	"Sculpture"

Joel Morrison (born 1976, Seattle, Washington) is an American sculptor based in Los Angeles. He is best known for his composite sculpture, often constructed from found objects that are cast in fiberglass or high-polish stainless steel.

Early Life and Education

Morrison was raised in Seattle, Washington. He received a BA in English Literature from Central Washington University and his MFA in sculpture from Claremont Graduate University in California.^[1]

Work

Morrison’s sculpture draws upon art historical reference and popular culture. Pairing quotations from various genres of art with common items and detritus – plastic bottles, weather balloons, plaster busts, shopping carts, light bulbs and bubble wrap – he reorients objects from everyday life by integrating them into themes of Pop, Surrealism and Classicism. Morrison uses a myriad of technical processes to create cast stainless steel sculptures with bright, high polished surfaces that reflect the object's surroundings.

Career

Morrison’s work has been exhibited internationally and is included in numerous public and private collections worldwide.

In 2006, he was a featured artist in the California Biennial^[2] held at the Orange County Museum of Art, as well as a participant in the critically acclaimed Thing^[3][4] Exhibition at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. In 2010, he was featured in Six Solos^[5] at the Wexner Center for the Arts. His numerous other group and solo exhibitions have been at venues throughout the world including the Kolbe Museum, Berlin; Haus Am Waldsee Museum, Berlin; and Santa Monica Museum of Art. Almine Rech Gallery in Brussels hosted a solo exhibition or Morrison's work in 2012.^[6] Gagosian Gallery represents Joel Morrison and has held solo exhibitions of Morrison's work in Beverly Hills (2008),^[7] New York at Madison Avenue (2011),^[8] and Hong Kong (2012).^{[9][10][11][12][13][14]}

Exhibition History

2015 Joel Morrison: Steel Life Crisis, Almine Rech, London

2014 Joel Morrison, Almine Rech, Paris

2012 Joel Morrison, Gagosian Gallery, Hong Kong; Joel Morrison, Almine Rech Gallery, Brussels, Belgium.

2011 Joel Morrison, Gagosian Gallery, New York.

2010 Six Solos, Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH.

2008 Circus, Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills.

2006 Free Plastic Surgery, Gallery Michael Schultz, Berlin.

2005 Gallery Schultz Contemporary, Berlin.

2004 New Works, Griffin Contemporary, Santa Monica, CA; Lemmy Kilmister's Mole, Art Forum Berlin.

2003 Project Room, Santa Monica Museum of Art, CA. Cologne Sculptor, Art Cologne, Germany; ACE International, ACE Gallery, New York; Santa Monica Museum of Art, CA; Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans, LA.

2002 Heads and Torsos, ACE Gallery, Los Angeles; ACE Gallery, New York.

2001 Sketches, ACE Gallery, Los Angeles; In Search of the Big Bulbous Bully, East Gallery, Claremont Graduate

External links

• http://joel-morrison.com/

References

1. "Gagosian Gallery". Gagosian Gallery. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
2. http://www.ocma.net/index.html?page=past&show=exhibit&e_id=2482
3. Knight, Christopher (February 9, 2005). "The next big 'Thing' in L.A.". Los Angeles Times.
4. "Thing Exhibition Page". Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
5. "Six Solos, Joel Morrison". Wexner Center for the Arts.
6. "Joel Morrison". Almine Rech Gallery.
7. "Joel Morrison, circus". Gagosian Gallery.
8. "Joel Morrison". Gagosian Gallery.
9. "Joel Morrison". Gagosian Gallery.
10. "Joel Morrison Asia First at Gagosian". Destinasian.
11. "Joel Morrison’s Heavy Metal at Gagosian". Post-ism. September 13, 2012.
12. "Opening Reception of Joel Morrison at Gagosian Gallery". Asia Tatler.
13. "Seen&Scene: Joel Morrison Steels Hong Kong at Gagosian". Wonder Lister.
14. "Joel Morrison". Lustik.