Mary Morrison
Website: http://www.marymorrison.co.uk
Email: marymorrison67@yahoo.co.uk
Click on a thumbnail image above to enlarge.
Celestial oil/mixed media on canvas (1m x 1m)
Flow - Infinity oil/mixed media on paper (60cm h x 84cm w)
Sound of Harris - Fonn II oil/mixed media on paper (43cm x 43cm)
Cosmos II oil/mixed media on paper (43cm x 43cm)
Black Shore oil/mixed media on board (60cm x 60cm)
Compass oil/mixed media on paper (35cm w x 37cm h)
Statement
My work is largely informed by the Atlantic archipelago and combines a sense of place with layers of meaning suggested by annotation – of music, mapping, measuring. Grid references, staves, shipping charts and tide tables recur in my work.Where works have titles referring to specific locations, the intention is to draw on a personal connection to these places in order to explore wider themes. My work investigates the relationship between the individual and the landscape that has shaped them, something you carry with you – a ‘geography of the mind.’
My current practice focuses on the word ‘Fonn’ as a link between the works. Fonn is a gaelic word with several meanings - ‘land, music, state of mind’ - which echoes ongoing preoccupations in my work.
Much of the work is inspired by relationships between the written word – poetry in particular – and image, and some works respond to the writings of Kenneth White, and the Sufi poet, Rumi for example.
‘Morrison’s thoughtful, contemplative works really capture the essence of the Highlands and Islands landscape, influenced by Kenneth White’s Geopoetical theory.
Whilst the scenic qualities of the North are undeniable, there is something far more potent and enduring to be explored in White’s conception of “territory”. Morrison’s work engages with this idea … exploring “sense of place, light (and) abstract musical notation”.
… Morrison’s interest in artists such as Anish Kapoor, Agnes Martin and Shirazeh Houshiary, Eastern Art and philosophy are akin to her own brand of enlightened minimalism or abstraction.
There is fluidity and formality in her technique which is beautifully balanced and her response to the Highland landscape is refreshing and inspired. This work is not about surfaces but understanding…’
Georgina Coburn, review 2008
Biography
Born 1967 and brought up on the Isle of Harris.1985-1990 Edinburgh University & Edinburgh College of Art
Joint Degree MA (Hons) Fine Art 2:1
1989 Ecole Des Beaux Arts, Tours, France Student Exchange
Summer 1989 Student Intern – Jack Tilton Gallery, New York
1990-1991 Edinburgh College of Art
Post Graduate Diploma in Painting (Distinction)
I am based at WASPS Studios in St Mary’s Mill, Selkirk and work part time with the Arts team at Live Borders, managing the Creative Arts Business Network (CABN).
