Fleeting - The Luminous Landscapes of John Morris
Acclaimed Newcastle artist, John Morris, has announced a new exhibition, Fleeting, on show at The Owens Collective from 1 July with the opening event on Saturday 2 July.
The long-awaited exhibition features atmospheric paintings of the Hawkesbury River landscape - subtle studies in light and shade with a haunting, ephemeral beauty that reveals itself slowly to the observer, marking the passage of time and evoking an emotional response.
On visits to the Hawkesbury, Morris would rise at 5am to bear witness to a silver, foggy landscape shaded by the escarpments and within half an hour, as the sun began to rise, it would burn off the fog creating flames of dancing mist in shafts of white light.
“I was struck by the ephemeral nature of what I was seeing. One minute it was there and the next, it was gone. It was etched in my consciousness, and I became obsessed with capturing these moments in time, their transience and precariousness,” said Morris.
A leading light in the art education sector of Newcastle for over 25 years, Morris was one of the head teachers at the Newcastle Art School at TAFE. His website lists countless exhibitions and awards with the most recent being shortlisted in the 2022 Muswellbrook Art Prize and being a finalist in the 2019 Moran Portrait Prize. He is also well represented in public collections and is a highly respected artist.
Catch this exhibition while you can because as its title suggests – Fleeting – is only showing for two weeks. Buyers will also need to hurry, as Morris’s work is likely to sell out.
OPENING NIGHT Saturday 2 July 6pm–9pm
GALLERY HOURS 11am–4pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday (two weekends only).
LOCATION 101 Maitland Rd, Islington
> 1–10 JULY, THE OWENS COLLECTIVE
