Gallery  July 10, 2018  Megan D Robinson

Technicolor Minimalism in New Works From Sculptor Pard Morrison

Brian Gross Fine Art

Pard Morrison, Heliotrope, 2018, fired pigment on aluminum

Heliotrope, showcasing new work by Pard Morrison, is now at San Francisco’s Brian Gross Fine Art. This is Morrison’s fourth solo show at the venue. Featuring three monolithic, freestanding sculptures, multi-colored paintings and a number of smaller wall-mounted sculpture, Heliotrope is a study in brightly colored geometric patterns. The title piece is a massive, eight-foot tall aluminum sculpture, covered in patterns of bent, vertical lines of saturated color. Influenced by Anne Truitt and Agnes Martin, Morrison’s minimalist art explores the visual interplay of color, form and pattern.

Heliotrope literally means to turn towards the sun. The patterns in this series reflect a psychological shift towards light. The complex, zigzag patterns and chevrons dance from darker to lighter tones. The metal cubes, covered with dynamic stripes of repeating color feel lighthearted, especially given their whimsical, sometimes romantic titles.

Pard Morrison, Feeling All the Feelings, 2018
Brian Gross Fine Art

Pard Morrison, Feeling All the Feelings, 2018, fired pigment on aluminum

Pard Morrison, Go Lucky, 2018
Brian Gross Fine Art

Pard Morrison, Go Lucky, 2018, fired pigment on aluminum

Pard Morrison, Harlequin, 2018
Brian Gross Fine Art

Pard Morrison, Harlequin, 2018, fired pigment on aluminum

Pard Morrison, Homestead, 2018
Brian Gross Fine Art

Pard Morrison, Homestead, 2018, fired pigment on aluminum

Pard Morrison, Moonlight on Your Skin, 2018
Brain Gross Fine Art

Pard Morrison, Moonlight on Your Skin, 2018, fired pigment on aluminum

From a distance, the blocks of color seem prefabricated, but closer inspection reveals tactile brushstrokes. Morrison welds his sculptures from pieces of aluminum, painting each piece individually with colored pigment. The pieces are cured in an industrial oven, in a process called patination. The smooth, uniform colors and geometric shapes could have been robotically cast or 3D printed, but bear the marks of human construction. Morrison likes the incongruity of pairing something apparently artificially fabricated with evidence of creative craftsmanship, combining the natural and artificial, blurring the line between them.

Brian Gross Fine Art

Installation view of Pard Morrison: Heliotrope

Morrison’s geometric, aluminum sculptures have been displayed around the world, from Denver to Venice. Heliotrope will be on view at Brian Gross Fine Art through August 25, 2018.

About the Author

Megan D Robinson

Megan D Robinson writes for Art & Object and the Iowa Source.

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