Artist of the Month
March 2022
William Morris
For more than 20 years, William Morris captivated and intrigued the art community with hauntingly evocative and beautiful glass sculptures. He courageously reinvented himself time after time with numerous series of works that are somehow consistently interwoven thematically with his reverence for humankind and our bonds with nature. Morris is represented by Hawk Galleries, Columbus, Ohio, which has curated an archival exhibition currently on view.
Click on each photo to the right for a full picture.
Anasazi Pot with Crow, 1999; 18 x 14 x 14 inches; blown glass, steel stand; featured in William Morris: Myth, Object and the Animal
Petroglyph Vessel, 1987; 21 x 19.5 x 7 inches; blown glass; featured in William Morris Glass Artifact and Art
Rhyton, 1997; 13 x 24 x 7 inches; blown glass
Rope Bowl, 1987; 41 x 19 x 21 inches; blown glass; series was never before exhibited
Stone Vessel, 1984; 16.5 x 14.5 x 4 inches; blown glass; featured in William Morris Glass Artifact and Art
Wall Panel, 2008; 48 x 60 x 9 inches; blown glass, steel pins
William Morris
About William Morris
William Morris was born in Carmel, California in 1957. He was educated at California State University in Chico, California as well as Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. In 1978, Morris arrived at the Pilchuck Glass School and found work initially as a driver. Later, he worked with Dale Chihuly, the founder of the school, and eventually became his chief gaffer in the 1980s. Morris remained with Chihuly for about 10 years before deciding to form his own studio and develop his own artistic style of glass blowing, until he retired in 2007.
For more than 25 years, William Morris captivated and intrigued the art community with hauntingly evocative and beautiful glass sculptures. He captured the imagination time and again by creating objects that appear to be ancient stone or wood carvings, not the modern glass sculptures they actually are. His art speaks of human origins, myth, ancestry, and ancient civilizations. It symbolizes a harmony between humanity and nature and provides a ghost-like bond to the world around us – a world that is often forgotten, ignored, and abused.
Morris gathered much of his inspiration from ancient cultures from around the world – Egyptian, Asian, Native American – all peoples who respected and admired the land they inhabited. Because of this, Morris’s artwork has become something all its own: culturally distinct and yet familiar to all cultures. His pieces embody a spiritual quality that sharply contrasts old beliefs with those of the modern world. These objects speak to our senses and continuously beg us to explore them further.
Morris’ work can be found in numerous public collections including:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY; American Glass Museum, Millville, NJ; Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Hokkaido, Japan; Musee Des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, France; Auckland Museum, Auckland, New Zealand and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England.
Gallery Statement
It has always astounded me how William Morris rejoices in life and nature by soulfully transporting the viewer of his work back in time, to our primal roots. His ancient-appearing sculptures and installations, which demonstrates Morris’ masterful, technical virtuosity, piques the imagination. What did our ancestors look like, how did they fabricate and use these primitive tools, and what it may have been like to experience their rituals and ceremonies? When examining Morris’ body of work, you can’t help but immediately feel genetically-connected to our collective ancestral roots and humanity.
Morris has courageously reinvented himself time after time with numerous series of works that are somehow consistently interwoven thematically with his reverence for humankind and our bonds with nature. As soon as the public caught up with one series, he intensely lept into the next and the next, never going back to revisit any of his former investigations. He pushed an idea to the point where he exhausted his inspiration, while developing new skills along his journey, until he felt compelled to move on to tell yet another story. His profound explorations of his subjects celebrate life and he reminds us to revere its preciousness, fragility and brevity.
It has been years since Morris unlocked his archival treasure chest. What a privilege it has been to have access to it and curate this stunning collection with his daughter/manager, Jackie Morris-Shchuka, who takes tremendous pleasure in her new professional role. Since Morris retired in 2007 to immerse himself in nature and live the life that inspired his body of work, he left a tremendous void in the art world. I hope viewers are reminded of Morris’ distinctive and formidable contribution to the arts when they experience this extraordinary collection, dating back to 1984. Morris’ work continues to challenge the viewer, asking provocative questions about our priceless time on this earth and where we are culturally headed.
Tom Hawk, Jr.
Quote: Morris’ works - are as moving to me as anything I have seen in contemporary art. - Henry Geldzahler, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Click here to view the exhibition.
Acknowledgment of Gallery:
We are grateful to Hawk Galleries, Columbus, Ohio, for providing the Artist of the Month.
The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to further the development and appreciation of art made from glass.
The Alliance informs collectors, critics and curators by encouraging and supporting museum exhibitions, university glass departments and specialized teaching programs, regional collector groups, visits to private collections, and public seminars.
