Carl Morris
Russo Lee Gallery is pleased to present Works from the Estate & Private Collections by Carl Morris (1911-1993). Known for creating luminous abstract works inspired by the natural beauty of the Northwest landscape, Carl Morris’ large and powerful paintings capture a range of light, color, and a sense of dynamic movement. As the show title states, this exhibition encompasses a selection of oil and acrylic works on canvas from the artist’s estate and from private collections. Morris was a first-generation Abstract Expressionist whose expansive career measured up to his New York contemporaries Robert Motherwell and Mark Rothko.
Originally born in California, Carl Morris became Oregon’s most renowned artist. He moved to Portland, Oregon in the early 1940’s, and exhibited both in the state and nationally throughout his career. In 1993 Morris was honored with a fifty-year retrospective at the Portland Art Museum. He was also regularly included in major New York exhibitions at the Whitney, Guggenheim and Metropolitan museums. His work has been reviewed and profiled in hundreds of publications, ranging from Art in America to numerous exhibition catalogs. As well as being exhibited both nationally and internationally, Morris’ work is included in many public and private collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York; the Corcoran Gallery and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; as well as the Portland Art Museum, the San Francisco Art Museum, and the Seattle Art Museum.
The new year brings new exhibitions to galleries and art venues across the state. Jason N. Le introduces some highlights.