Margaret Morrison | Objects of Desire Catalogue by woodwardgallery

Woodward Gallery

Woodward Gallery 3 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y | 1 9 9 4 - 2 0 2 4 | N YC 132A Eldridge Street, ground floor, New York, NY, 10002 T: 212.966.3411 E: Art@WoodwardGallery.net By appointment only WoodwardGallery.net Woodward_Gallery WoodwardGalleryArt WoodwardGallNYC Woodward Gallery

December 2023 - February 2024 at DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION | 60 Pine Street, 3rd Floor, NYC

MARGARET MORRISON

OBJECTS OF DESIRE December 2023 - February 2024 Downtown Association 60 Pine Street, 3rd Floor, NYC Woodward Gallery celebrates this Winter Season with Margaret Morrison’s newest one-woman exhibition, Objects of Desire, marking the gallery’s return to its secondary location and launching its 30th Anniversary year! Oil paintings, some previously exhibited in museums around the world, are gathered for this solo exhibition, together for the very first time. Tuscany is Margaret Morrison’s second home and place of great inspiration. Nearly every summer, Morrison wanders through the antique markets of Arezzo, Cortona, and Lucca, Italy searching for inspiration. She often finds tables laden with sumptuous offerings of silver, crystal, and collectibles. Morrison explains that there are tables piled high with forgotten trinkets and discarded items that fascinate her with their accidental beauty. Monumental paintings from her Antiques series inspired by these observations will premiere in Objects of Desire.

Margaret Morrison’s oil paintings are so realistic that they appear to be photographs. Her large-scale works are chock full of detail to behold. Shiny treasures reflect within one another or glisten with sugary lusciousness in her unique table settings. Considering life from a child’s point of view, Morrison believes that life becomes mysterious and magical all over again. Previously featured at the Art in Embassy program, in Tel Aviv, Israel, and at the NYU Kimmel Vitrines in Manhattan, New York, larger-than-life marbles from her joyous Playtime series will be presented as part of Objects of Desire. Morrison’s decadent sweet treats have been featured at the Imperial Centre Museum, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Lightheartedly, Margaret Morrison blames her father for her sweet tooth. She recalls her youth time family visits to the drive-in movie theater including ritual stops at the local drug store where her father would purchase several bags of candy. She vividly remembers the shiny wrappers, the seductive packaging, and the incalculable thrill of sweet pleasure. Indulge in delights from this Candy series, premiering in New York City for Objects of Desire. 7

7 Signals of Love, 2018 Oil on canvas 54 x 54 in; 137.2 x 137.2 cm Signed lower left

7 Signals of Love, detail

For The Birds, 2020 Oil on canvas 36 x 36 in; 91.4 x 91.4 cm Signed lower right

For The Birds, detail

Cacophony, 2020 Oil on canvas 36 x 36 in; 91.4 x 91.4 cm Signed lower left

Cacophony, detail

Porcelain Sage, 2022 Oil on canvas 40 x 40 in; 101.6 x 101.6 cm Signed on verso

Porcelain Sage, detail

Opera Omnia, 2021 Oil on canvas 108 x 84 in; 274.3 x 213.4 cm Signed lower right

Menagerie, 2021 Oil on canvas 72 x 60 in; 192.9 x 152.4 cm Signed lower left

Menagerie, detail

Reliquia, 2020 Oil on canvas 36 x 36 in; 91.4 x 91.4 cm Signed lower right

Reliquia, detail

Cristallo, 2022 Oil on canvas 108 x 84 in; 274.3 x 213.4 cm Signed lower right

“In terms of method, I am a direct painter; I paint wet into wet right on the canvas without a preliminary drawing or a grisaille under-painting. I actually throw a lot of paint down, sometimes straight from the tube. Nothing shuts me down faster than a pristine, white canvas, so I cover the entire canvas with paint right away. It helps me to see if the piece is holding together from the start and establishes a visual language that I can hang the rest of the painting on. In the midst of painting, I become completely immersed in analyzing colors, shapes, values; soft versus hard or lost edges. I stop naming “things” and completely tune into a wordless frame of mind. I work from general to specific, dark up to light, with the last move being the highlight, the icing on the cake…such a satisfying moment.

On close inspection, I’m engaged with abstraction. Upon taking a step back, the pieces coalesce and form a whole… that’s when the magic happens. I’ve also found that the faster I paint the better my decisions become. I silence the little voice in my head and simply learn to trust my eyes. Transparency and reflections are incredibly fascinating to paint! The majority of the time I stand while working, which allows me the freedom to pace around and to step back to check the “gestalt.” I probably log a few miles a day just pacing up and back as I paint.”Margaret Morrison, 2023

Charmed, 2023 Oil on canvas 12 x 12 in; 274.3 x 213.4 cm Signed lower right

Charmed, detail

Shooters, 2015 Oil on canvas 48 x 58 in; 121.9 x 147.3 cm Signed lower right

Shooters, detail

Cat’s Eyes, 2011 Oil on canvas 48 x 90 in; 121.9 x 228.6 cm Signed on verso

Cat ’s Eyes, detail

Red 40, 2017 Oil on canvas 48 x 52 in; 121.9 x 132.1 cm Signed lower right

Red 40, detail

EXHIBITION LIST 7 Signals of Love, 2018 Oil on canvas 54 x 54 in; 137.2 x 137.2 cm Signed lower left