Lida Morley and Friedrich Petzel announce that Petzel Gallery will now represent the Estate of Malcolm Morley.
Malcolm Morley was a pioneer in the arts who gained acclaim for his idiosyncratic style, which set itself apart in its uncanny synthesis of photorealism and expressionism. Born in London in 1931, the artist trained in landscape painting at the Camberwell School of Arts and developed an interest in abstract art during his time at the Royal College of Art. He moved to New York in 1958, where he remained until his death. Operating under a time in which Pop Art prevailed, Morley offered a counterpoint through what he dubbed as his “Super Realist” aesthetic, in which he sourced imagery from found photographs that range from travel brochures to old-master paintings. As he transferred his images onto canvases using a grid system, he amplified the scenes with unnatural saturation, dramatic composition and his painterly know-how. The subject matter, most emblematically limited to old planes and ships, always bore a link to his own biographical experiences. Just as photorealism gained traction in the New York art scene, Morley veered away to question, attack and fracture his images in more expressive stylistic modes, allowing his personal crises, along with those in the world at large, to spill out. In his adventurous ethos, Morley continuously incorporated a variety of artistic styles into his practice to embark into uncharted territories that did not always align with dominant tastes.
“I look forward to working with Friedrich Petzel as we continue to honor and preserve the legacy of Malcolm Morley,” says Lida Morley. “I’m excited to collaborate and develop many interesting future projects with the entire Petzel team.”
“It will be a great pleasure to work on behalf of the estate of one of the most radical and esteemed painters,” says Friedrich Petzel. “Malcolm Morley’s restless curiosity has been an inspiration not only for many artists we represent but generations of painters since the 1960s working in the US and Europe. Our first show will originate at Capitain Petzel during the Berlin Gallery Weekend in late April 2023.”
Photo: Jason Schmidt
