Malcolm Morley 1931, London, UK-2018, New York, NY, USA
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“Two words characterize my art: diversity and fidelity. Fidelity somehow binds the diversity. And although the paintings might look very different from each other, you get the feeling the same artist painted them.”
– Malcolm Morley1931, London, UK–2018, New York, NY, USA
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The first winner of the prestigious Turner Prize, Malcolm Morley, was hailed by Salvador Dalí as “the best painter of his generation”. Known for his continual artistic innovations, Morley achieved a prominent status in different painting movements and pioneered two influential art movements of the 20th century: Super-realism and Neo-expressionism.
Morley began his artistic journey by attending the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts from 1952 to 1953, followed by the Royal College of Art from 1955 to 1957. In the mid-1960s, he was teachung at various institutions such as Ohio State University, the School of Visual Arts (1967–1969), and Stony Brook University (1970–1974).
After relocating to New York in 1958, Morley gradually immersed himself in the city’s art scene, crossing paths with renowned artists like Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Barnett Newman, and forming a friendship with Roy Lichtenstein. He departed from abstract art and shifted towards highly realistic paintings, solidifying his reputation as one of the pioneers of the Photorealist movement.
In the 1970s, Morley’s paintings evolved, moving away from the precise structure of Super-Realism. His brushwork became more visible and expressive, incorporating collage techniques. These works are considered the precursors to the dominant painting style of the 1980s, Neo-expressionism, and positioned Morley as an early advocate and influential figure.
Morley’s distinctive style encompassed elements of autobiography, politics, psychoanalysis, mythology, and the visual culture of his era, exploring the boundless possibilities of paint. Throughout his career, he often depicted nautical scenes, fighter planes, and airplanes, drawing inspiration from various sources and deeply rooted in his childhood memories.
In 1984, Morley won the inaugural Turner Prize. He was also the 1992 winner of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture’s Painting Award and was represented at Documenta V (1972) and Documenta VI in Kassel (1977).
Morley showed internationally, including major retrospectives at the Centre Pompidou (Paris, France, 1993) and the Brooklyn Museum (New York, NY, USA, 1984), which later travelled to the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago, IL, USA).
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Works
Malcolm Morley 1931, London, UK-2018, New York, NY, USA
The Island of the Day Before Regained, 2013Oil on linen106,5 × 97 cmFurther images
The Island of the Day Before Regained (2013) presents a dramatic aerial scene: two German Messerschmitts pursue a U.S. Army bomber, poised on the brink of collision with a Man-O-War...The Island of the Day Before Regained (2013) presents a dramatic aerial scene: two German Messerschmitts pursue a U.S. Army bomber, poised on the brink of collision with a Man-O-War ship. The absence of a horizon line creates a disorienting perspective, immersing the viewer in a dive-bombing trajectory toward the central aircraft and the stranded sailing vessel—both depicted from above.
Ship masts, airplane insignia, ocean waves, and fluttering flags—Morley revels in the intricacy of his compositions, layering visual complexity upon complexity. His meticulous approach to painterly illusion is encapsulated in his own words:
"My eyes look at an object and translate it into what I call ‘painterliness,’ which is pre-imagining the object has already been painted in my mind. It’s a continuous rehearsal of looking at the world as if it’s made of paint." – Malcolm Morley
Exhibitions
Malcolm Morley. Sperone Westwater Gallery, NY, USA. Apr 16–Jun 6, 2015
Disturbing Innocence, FLAG Art Foundation, New York, Oct 25, 2014–12 Feb 12, 2015
Malcolm Morley. Recent Paintings. Xavier Hufkens, Brussels, May 16–Jun 15, 2013-
Malcolm Morley and Dirk Skreber | Group exhibition ‘Tempo. Tempo! Tempo?’
June 10, 2023 – February 4, 2024 | Kunstmuseum Schloss Derneburg, Hall Collection, DerneburgExploring the concept of “speed” through several thematic lenses and media, Kunstmuseum Schloss Derneburg will present over forty contemporary artworks by approximately thirty internationally renowned artists working in sculpture, painting,... -
Malcolm Morley | Shipwreck
November 20, 2022 – April 16, 2023 | NSU Art Museum, Fort LauderdaleNSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale will present Malcolm Morley: Shipwreck, in collaboration with Hall Art Foundation. Malcolm Morley (b. London, 1931-2018) achieved widespread acclaim in the 1960s for his photo-based...
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