Richard Allen Morris’s work is disrespectful, bold, down right fresh and always full of painterly bravura. He transforms his own, sometimes bizarre, world theater into painting. Playfully, humorously and in his very own way, he reflects on the (art) world around him. His sharp observational skill, as well as his sense of irony and absurdity, lends his work a very special character. With no fear of an affinity to comics and caricature, Morris's painting amazes by its freshness and spontaneity to this day.
Morris, who received no formal art education, began exhibiting at the age of 26 and has had solo and group exhibitions throughout the Unites States and Europe. Morris had a retrospective exhibition in 2004 at the Museum Haus Lange in Krefeld, Germany; and in 2005 at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, CA. His most recent exhibitions include R.B. Stevenson Gallery, La Jolla, CA; Galerie Anke Schmidt, Cologne, Gemrnay; Häusler Contemporary, Zurich, Switzerland; Peter Blum Chelsea Gallery, New York, NY; Galerie Filles du Calvaire, Paris, France; Cue Art Foundation, New York, NY; and La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA. Morris has been included in group exhibitions with notable figures such as John Baldessari, David Reed, Gerard Richter and Nancy Spero, among others. Morris has lived and worked in San Diego, CA, since 1956.
b. 1933 in Long Beach, CA
lives and works in San Diego, CA
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014
Work from the 60's; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
Richard Allen Morris. Mixed Bag; Galerie Anke Schmidt; Cologne, Germany
2013
QUICK DRAW, drawings; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
2012
Richard Allen Morris, This and That; Galerie Schimidt Maczollek, Cologne, Germany
2010
Richard Allen Morris "Boxer’; Häusler Contemporary; Zurich, Switzerland
Richard Allen Morris "Patch and Paint"; R.B. Stevenson Gallery, La Jolla, CA
Richard Allen Morris; Peter Blum Gallery Chelsea; New York, NY
2009
Morris Code work from 1957 - 2007; Peter Blum Chelsea Gallery; New York, NY
Richard Allen Morris Small Ones; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
2008
Insight into Sight; Galerie Schmidt Maczollek; Cologne, Germany
Richard Allen Morris Painter's Room; Hausler Contemporary; Munich, Germany
Richard Allen Morris Paintings; Galerie Les Filless du Calvaire; Paris, France
Richard Allen Morris Case in View; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
2007
Richard Allen Morris Crossing Edges; Hausler Contemporary; Zurich, Switzerland
2006
Guns - 110 Works on paper; Hausler Contemporary; Munich, Germany
Richard Allen Morris, Bilder für München; Häusler Contemporary; Munich, Germany
Body and Soul; Mandarin Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
2005
Through Thick and Thin 1962 – 2005; Galerie Schmidt Maczollek; Cologne, Germany
Richard Allen Morris Retrospective 1958-2005; Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego; San Diego, CA
2004
Richard Allen Morris Retrospective 1958-2004; Museum Haus Lange; Krefeld, Germany
Selection from the Studio; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
Richard Allen Morris; Cue Art Foundation; New York, NY
2000
Through Thick and Thin; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; San Diego, CA
1999
Richard Allen Morris at Chac-Mool; Chac-Mool; West Hollywood, CA
1997
Almost An Apple; Mesa College Art Gallery; San Diego, CA
1996
Jaws; Rita Dean Gallery; San Diego, CA
1988
A Sense of Place; Mandeville Gallery; University of California San Diego; La Jolla, CA
Sculpture; La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, Downtown Annex; San Diego, CA
1984
439 Works 1958-1984; Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum; Santa Barbara, CA
Abstractions; Quint Gallery; La Jolla, CA
1983
Guns and Heads; Quint Gallery; La Jolla, CA
1980
Recent Work; Southwestern College Art Gallery; Chula Vista; CA
40 Recent Works; 552 Galleries; San Diego, CA
1979
Aspects of a Retrospective; Boehm Gallery, Palomar College; San Marcos, CA
1978
Recent Work; University of California Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara, CA
1972
Things on Paper, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL
1971
Heads; San Diego Fine Arts Gallery; San Diego, CA
1970
Sculpture; California Institute of the Arts; Los Angeles, CA
Hyde Gallery; Grossmont College; San Diego, CA
1969
Paintings; Bardhall Gallery, Unitarian Church; San Diego, CA
1965
Gun Room 56 Works; Art Center in La Jolla; La Jolla, CA
1960
Art Center, La Jolla, La Jolla, CA
1959
Dada Comes to San Diego Beginning at $1.98; Vroman´s; San Diego, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2017
Liver, Loner; organized by Keith J. Varadi; David Shelton Gallery; Houston, TX
2016
From the Studio, Richard Allen Morris & David Reed; Häusler Contemporary; Munich, Germany
DRAWINGS; Galerie Anke Schmidt; Cologne, Germany
2015
Visual Language a Group Show; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
IN THE ABSTRACT: Midcentury San DIego Painting & Sculpture; Oceanside Museum of Art; Oceanside, CA
2014
Spitting in the Wind: Art From the End of the Line by John Baldessari, Richard Allen Morris, Bob Matheny and Russel Baldwin; curated by Dave Hampton Oceanside Museum of Art, CA
ECCENTRIC ABSTRACTION; Frosch Portmann Gallery; New York, NY
GREEN HEAVEN, a group show; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
Works on Paper 1963 – 2013; Galerie Schmidt Maczollek; Cologne, Germany
2013
“Sweet Home” Olaf Breuning, Sébastien de Ganay, Hubert Kiecol, Richard Allen Morris, David Reed, Alejandra Seeber, Roman Signer, Keith Sonnier, Nancy Spero, Erwin Wurm; Häusler Contemporary, Münich, Germany
MY KIND OF DISNEYLAND, Tatjana Doll, Pia Fries), Gajin Fujita, Steffen Lenk, Fabian Marcaccio, Richard Allen Morris, Wilhelm Mundt, David Reed, Tinka Stock, Gert und Uwe Tobias, Günter Umberg und Stefan Wieland; Eine Ausstellung von Steffen Lenk mit Werken von Museum in Witten, Germany
2012
THE VERY LARGE ARRAY: SAN DIEGO/TIJUANA ARTIST IN THE MCA COLLECTION; MCASD; San Diego, CA
TRIP, Peter Young, Michael Venezia, Richard Allen Morris; Häusler Contemporary; Münich, Germany
SMILE, Amerikanische Kunst - Sammlung Kienbaum, curated by Rolf Ricke; Galerie Thomas Zander; Koln, Germany
MIXED MEDIA, a group show; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
Neue Wege der Abstraktion Bernard Frize , Bernard Frize, Richard Allen Morris, David Reed, Gerhard Richter,
Juan Uslé Die, Sammlung Peter Metzger; Galerie Schönewald Fine Arts; Düsseldorf, Germany
STONE GRAVY, 9 Painters, curated by David Pagel; Ameringer McEnery Yohe; New York, NY
CALIFORNIA ABSTRACT PAINTING 1952 to 2011, curated by James Hayward; Woodbury University Nan Rae Art Gallery; Burbank, CA
IT'S NOT ONLY MALEREI BUT I LIKE IT; Kunstverein Offenburg Mittelbaden; Germany, curated by Steffen Lenk
2011
A COLLECTION WITH STATURE; Heinz and Marianne Ebers Foundation, Museum Haus Lange; Krefeld, Germany
Itsy-Bitsy Spider; Galerie Schmidt Maczollek; Cologne, Germany
COLOR & CULTURE; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
COLLECTORS CHOICE; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
BIWAK lll; Galerie Schmidt Maczollek; Cologne, Germany
2010
JUST ENOUGH, a group show; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
Vintage and Recent Work; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
Apartment Museum, Collector´s Choice From private – to public – to private; Hãusler Contemporary; Zurich, Switzerland
35 Annual Image Small Show; Spanish Village Art Center; Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
2009
Raum.inhalt (1) The Big Exploration, im Tal - Stiftung Wortelkam; Hasselbach, Switzerland
Double Header, San Diego Art Prize; San Diego, CA
Quint: Three Decades of Contemporary Art; California Center for the Arts Museum; Escondido, CA
Homing In, An Exhibition of 50 San Diego Artist; Quint Contemporary Art; La Jolla, CA
2008
Untitled; Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego; La Jolla, CA
Painted!; The Daros Collection; Zurich, Switzerland
There is Desire Left (Knock, Knock); Museum Wiesbaden, Germany
There is Desire Left (Knock, Knock), Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland
2007
Blue Chips Masterpieces; Museum of Modern Art; Frankfort, Germany
Abstract Gallery Selections; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
In Thick of It; Mandarin Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
2006
A Group Show; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
Driven to Abstraction; Riverside Art Museum; Riverside, CA
Michael Stankiewicz Collection; Schloss Raabs Museum; Stadtgemeinde Raabs, Austria
A Little So Cal Abstraction; Mandarin Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
2005
Triple Play, Richard Allen Morris, James Hayward, Ed Moses; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
Linear Logic; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; La Jolla, CA
The Dazzling Show; Roellin Duerr Galerie; St Gallen, Switzerland
2004
White on White; Patricia Faure Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
Full Disclosure; Geoffrey Young Gallery; Great Barrington, MA
Pickup Lines; Geoffrey Young Gallery; Great Barrington, MA
2003
Selections; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; San Diego, CA
Not the Usual Suspects; Manny Silverman Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Inc. Santa Fe, NM
Extreme Paint; Peter Blake Gallery; Laguna Beach, CA
2002
Group Show; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; San Diego, CA
Big and Blurry, Flux Gallery, San Diego, CA
5 Times 4; Modernism; San Francisco, CA
2001
The Necessary Beauty; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; San Diego, CA
Mass Appeal; R.B. Stevenson Gallery; San Diego, CA
2000
The Next Wave, New Paintings in Southern California; California Center for the Arts; Escondido, CA
1999
Four By Four; Boehm Gallery, Palomar College; San Marcos, CA
1996
Field Days, Cerulean Embankments; Geoffrey Young Gallery; Great Barrington, MA
96 Works on Paper; Geoffrey Young Gallery; Great Barrington, MA
1988
Midwinter Award Show; San Diego Art Institute; San Diego, CA
1987
Black Lines; Gwydion Gallery; La Jolla, CA
1986
Southern California Assemblage: Past and Present; Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum; Santa Barbara, CA
College of Creative Studies Gallery, UCSB; Santa Barbara, CA
The Museum of Santa Cruz County and Cabrillo College Gallery; Santa Cruz, CA
Art Furniture: 98 Artists; Installations Gallery; San Diego, CA
Drawings, Rogue Graphics Gallery, San Diego, CA
1985
Masters Show; San Diego Art Institute, San Diego, CA
Wood; Quint Gallery; San Diego, CA
Sixteen X Twenty-six; Quint Gallery; San Diego, CA
1984
Parts of a World; Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum; Santa Barbara, CA
1982
10 Against the Wall; San Diego, CA
1981
A California Summer; Thomas Babeor Gallery; La Jolla, CA
1979
San Diego Art Guild All Media Membership Exhibition; San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA
1978
Richard Allen Morris; University of Santa Barbara Art Museum; Santa Barbara, CA
Big San Diego Show; Newspace; Los Angeles, CA
1977
24th Annual Art Exhibition; San Diego Art Institute; San Diego, CA
1976
California Hawaii Biennial; Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego; San Diego, CA
1975
Collage and Assemblage Exhibition; Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art; Los Angeles, CA
San Diego Art Guild All Media Exhibit; San Diego, CA
1974
Blazing Brushes and Flying Clay: Artists of the 1950’s and 1960’s; The Artists Co-op Gallery; San Diego, CA
1973
19th Annual All California Purchase Prize Competition; Laguna Beach Museum of Art, Laguna Beach, CA
1972
San Diego Art Guild All Media Show; Fine Arts Gallery; San Diego, CA
19th Annual Art Exhibition; San Diego Art Institute; San Diego, CA
1971
Top Box Art Spring Invitational Exhibition of Painting; Illinois State University; Bloomington/Normal, IL
1970
An Assemblage of Assemblage; Dwight Boehm Gallery, Palomar College; San Marcos, CA
Jewish Community Center Annual Award Show; San Diego, CA
17th Annual Art Exhibition; San Diego Art Institute; San Diego, CA
San Diego Art Guild All Media Exhibition; San Diego Art Institute; San Diego, CA
1968
15th Annual Art Exhibition; San Diego Art Institute; San Diego, CA
San Diego Art Guild All Media Exhibition; San Diego Art Institute; San Diego, CA
1967
Found Object Exhibition; Gallery 25, Balboa Park; San Diego, CA
1966
San Diego Art Guild All Media Show; Fine Arts Gallery; San Diego, CA
1965
Some Aspects of California Painting and Sculpture; La Jolla Museum of Art; La Jolla, CA
The Box Show; New York, NY
Invitational Sculpture Exhibition; San Diego State Art Gallery; San Diego, CA
1963
4th Annual Painting and Sculpture; Art Center, La Jolla, CA
1962
81st Annual Painting Exhibition; San Francisco, CA
1st Annual Southern California Exhibition; Long Beach Museum of Art; Long Beach, CA
1961
80th Annual Painting Exhibition; San Francisco, CA
24th Annual Drawing, Print and Sculpture Exhibition; San Francisco Art Association; San Francisco, CA
6 La Jolla Area Artists; Comara Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
Art Center Annual California Painting and Sculpture Exhibition; La Jolla, CA
1960
The Fine Arts Gallery All Media County-Wide Exhibition; San Diego, CA
1st Annual Painting and Sculpture Exhibit; Art Center; La Jolla, CA
40th National Exhibition; Los Angeles County Art Museum; Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2010
Robert L. Pincus, A real Find Abstract artist Richard Allen Morris bursts onto the world scene at 76, San Diego Union Tribune, June 13, 2010
Dave Hampton, A Guide To San Diego Artist Richard Allen Morris, KPBS, June 11, 2010
Robert L. Pincus, Patch and Paint, San Diego Union Tribune June 10, 2010
Dave Hampton, The Six-Year span from 1959 to 1964, KPBS, May 10, 2010
2009
Stephen Maine, Richard Allen Morris, Art in America, International Review No.8 September 2009
Philipp Meier, Painted! - Daros Collection, Zurich, Switzerland
Kara L. Rooney, Morris Code, works from 1957-2007, The Brooklyn Rail.
Carlos Jimenez, Painted!, Art Nexus N0. 72 Volume 8 Year 2009
Howard Halle, Morris Code, works from 1957-2007 Time out New York Art
2008
Stephane Correard Analyse / Un Bon Artiste Francais Est Un Artiste Mort, Particules No. 21 Oct/Nov 2008
Robert L. Pincus, Case in Point, San Diego Union Tribute, July 10, 2008
2006
Barbara Hein, The Light in the Cellar, ART das Kunstmagazin, Nr. 6 / June 2006
David Pagel, Packing a lot into very tight quarters, Los Angeles Times, April 14
2005
Shana Nys Dambrot Triple Play at R.B. Stevenson Gallery, ArtWeek August 2005
Robert L. Pincus, High Profile, At Last San Diego Union Tribune May 12, 2005
David Pagel, The Color of his Passion Los Angeles Time May 15, 2005
Ralf Christofori Richard Allen Morris, Museum Haus Lange, Frieze Magazine May 2005
2004
Robert L. Pincus, An Artist Expands (and Shrinks) his genre, San Diego Union TribuneDecember 26, 2004
Siri Hustvedt, Necessary Leaps, Modern Painter October 2004
Robert L. Pincus, Through Thin and Thick, Morris Stuck with his Art, San Diego Union Tribune October 24, 2004
Christopher Knight, The many colors of white explored, Los Angeles Times, March 19
2002
Robert L. Pincus, 3 Dimensions, San Diego Union-Tribune, April 14
2000
Julia Morton, Bold Strokes, San Diego Union-Tribune, July 27
Christopher Knight, Catching the Next Wave of Painters, Los Angeles Times, June 20
1999
David Pagel, Bold Abstractions, Los Angeles Times, April 23
Claudine Lae, Art Issues, October, Number 59
1998
Welton Jones, San Diego Union-Tribune, May 17
1997
Robert L. Pincus, Apple Intimately shows the fruition of talent, passion, San Diego Union-Tribune, April 6
1988
David Antin Thinking of Richard Allen Morris, Some Sentences UCSD Press, La Jolla, CA
Robert L. Pincus, Morris Stirs Elixir of Gold Into Rubble, San Diego Union-Tribune, April 21
Robert L. Pincus, Passion For Art, San Diego Union-Tribune, February 25
1984
Mark Elliot Lugo, Richard Allen Morris: Abstractions, San Diego Union-Tribune, September 21
1980
Michael Pierce, A Salvage Operation, San Diego Union-Tribune, September 9
Robert McDonald, From New to Old, Artweek, Vol. 11, No. 28, August 30
Else Miller, Recycling Art for Arts Sake, Los Angeles Times, August 11
1978
Suzanne Muchnic, Borrowings of a Creative Recluse, Los Angeles Times, October 6
Morris Show Has Vitality, Santa Barbara California News-Press, October 7
Geoffrey Young, A Deserved Survey UCSB Art Museum, Artweek, Vol. 9, No. 33
1976
Kathryn Russell, Escondido Times Advocate, May 30
Ruth-Ann Rohman, California Hawaii Biennial, Artweek, Vol. 7, No. 11, March 13
1975
Hal Glicksman, Collage and Assemblage LAICA, Journal, June-July, No. 6
1965
Dr. Armin Kietzmann, Morris: Love of the Brush Is Still Core of His Talent, San Diego Union-Tribune, December 5
Dr. Armin Kietzmann, Contemporary Art is for Homes Too, San Diego Union-Tribune, August 8
Marilyn Hagberg, San Diego Magazine, Vol. 17, No. 10, August 1965
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Richard Allen Morris, Retrospective 1958 – 2004, Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld, Germany
Udo Kittelmann & Klaus Görner, What’s New, Pussycat? 2006, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany
There is Desire Left (Knock, Knock) , Museum Wiesbaden, Germany
Richard Allen Morris, Crossing Edges 2007 , Häusler Contemporary, Zurich Switzerland
Richard Allen Morris, It’s just a certain sound I’m after 2008, Kienbaum Artists’ Books Gummersbach, Germany
Daros Collection, Painted! 2008, Daros-Latinamerica AG, Zurich Switzerland
Richard Allen Morris Painter’s Room 2009 , Häusler Contemporary, Munich, Germany
A COLLECTION WITH STATURE, Heinz and Marianne Ebers Foundation, Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld, Germany
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
The Daros Collection, Zurich, Switzerland
Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego
San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach
Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld Germany
Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany
Museum St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland