Beneath the Surface
Solo Exhibition | Mary Morrison
Main floor gallery
Main floor gallery
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Exhibit Info & Statement
February 17, 2025 - April 12, 2025
Solo Exhibition
Solo Exhibition
Beneath the SurfaceMy work has come full circle. I started doing art as drawing and printmaking and for the last forty years I have primarily been a painter. I have discovered much in the form of techniques and design during the last six months.
I am currently going back to resurrect my love for printmaking and as always painting. Something new is the inlaid precious metals. Some of the techniques I use are tools that help to manipulate the painted surface. I strive for symmetry in my paintings, but my process always takes me into an abyss of fragments and unstructured chaos. There seems to be an alchemical formula with combining my dry pigment paint, crayons, and precious metals. I use pure 24k yellow gold and sterling silver sheets. When all of these sources are pulled together they make the kind of surface I strive for. I build many layers of paint and use my tools to manipulate the paint, unveiling what is there beneath. Much like an archeological dig. I break down the surface to built it up in new layers. I access both side of my brain, and I go deep in my brain to design the forms and messages in my work. I have developed a way of seeing and feeling a systemic nature as they coexist. As in life there is darkness and light. Rather than judging the notion that one is better than the other I feel both emotions as one experience. I choose to not intellectualize my work, but rather I let myself feel the guidance I receive as I work. I call my finished pieces as an eternal moment which holds everything. I leave the rest to the viewer. I have been told that depending on the viewers capacity to feel the layers of my work, my work can be understood as a mystical whole. This is what transcending means to me. Allowing yourself to have the ability to see the intuitive unseen world. This is life for me. About the Artist"I was born and raised in Iowa. I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with honors. I began creating art when I was 4 years old. I've been creating ever since. My work has evolved over the years. Currently, I am using many materials, and I've designed new techniques that involve print making and painting. In the last six months, I've designed and created stencils that are hand done, and then I send my designs to a company that laser cuts them for me.
Creating art has always been my purpose and passion. I paint in layers, and then I say a prayer over each layer as I manipulate the bottom layers. There can be two to fifteen layers in one painting. I scratch into the surfaces and use stencils to create designs guided from my intuition. As I'm creating the painting, I receive directions from a much higher dimension. I am told how to create each layer. This is my spiritual path. This is my life." |
Exhibit Images
