A Different Perspective
Aaron Morse, Cloud World (Shepherd with Wildflowers), 2016, acrylic and oil on canvas
Vibrant worlds whose landscapes are of the Earth and not, populated by people, plants and creatures of all kinds inhabiting parallel spaces that intersect - or not; these are the mesmerising worlds of Aaron Morse.
Aaron Morse, The Dragon’s Garden, 2021, acrylic on canvas
Aaron Morse, Double Cloud World (Searchers), 2024, acrylic on canvas (Philip Martin Gallery)
Morse’s subject matter is inspired by the geography, history and mythology of the Southwest as well as by the American Colonial history, 19th century Romantic literature, travel and leisure propaganda, nature guides, hunting, whaling, and 20th century politics.
Stylistically, he is influenced by the visual language of advertising, collage, and comics, combining these elements into compositions comprised of colourful and complex layers.
Aaron Morse, Life of the Shore, 2017, acrylic and oil on paper
“The results are akin to epic illustrations or surreal, alternate worlds where space is ambiguous and tumultuous. His large paintings and watercolors are exceptional for their technique, and recall art forms ranging from Chinese landscape painting and Japanese woodblock prints to drawings by outsider artist Henry Darger and the Beat era collages of Jess. Ecology is a major concern for the artist, whose work is based simultaneously in both reality and fantasy.”
– The Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Aaron Morse, Mountain Shepherds, 2019, acrylic and oil on canvas
Aaron Morse (b. 1974, Arizona, United States) received a BFA from the University of Arizona in 1996 and an MFA from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio in 1998.
Widely exhibited, Morse's work is included in the permanent collections of the Hammer Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA in New York), the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others.
You can see more of his work on his website https://www.aaronmorse.com and IG @aaronmorse74