February 2009 Artist of the Month

Kevin Morris...

Q & A with Scott Hill

You have been in over twenty exhibitions in six years. Bermuda, Greece and the UK have been your backdrops for these shows. What suggestions can you provide us for the young aspiring artist who wishes to have his/her first exhibition?

I think that if you live in Bermuda, showing your work is not particularly difficult. There is a good range of varied art spaces available where new or emerging artists can show many different types of artwork. The art scene is generally well populated and vibrant; overall, a unique place to launch one’s art career.

Your work is very methodical. Explain the process that you go through from the initial idea to the finished piece?

I like to paint on unstretched canvas on the floor so that I can rest on the surface and paint the whole piece or just one section. Usually, I do not have a predetermined direction when I begin a painting. I like to use acrylics, which dry fast, allowing me to build up the surface quickly with layers of colour. During this initial process ideas begin to form and the painting becomes a planned piece of work. My ideas may change, but there is still evidence of the earlier work in the finished piece. Once the painting begins to take shape it becomes detailed and intricate; therefore, I usually have a few canvasses in progress at the same time in order to vary the type of painting I am doing.

Your work has a narrative quality. Would you agree? If so, what stories are you trying to tell?

Yes, I think there is a narrative quality to my work, especially recently. Generally, I make notes of words, phrases and events in order to include them in my artwork at some point. I am also interested in patterns, symbols and colour; so all these elements combined on one canvas often provide a narrative backdrop. There is not necessarily an obvious ‘story’ evident in my work, but more a colourful and stimulating collection of words and images, from which each person can form their own opinion based on their feelings and interpretations. However, in my present exhibition at the Bermuda National Gallery, there are some pieces that have a very obvious subject matter relating to art history and some current events.

One artist that inspires you is Jean- Michel Basquiat. In what ways has Basquiat influenced your art?

Among other things, it was Julian Schnabels’ film about Basquiat that initially inspired me to progress to painting on canvas. At the time I had been learning how to do decorative paint finishes and was experimenting with paint, colour and texture on various surfaces. After learning more about Basquiat’s artwork, and other artists such as Jackson Pollock, I became interested in non-representational art. What I like about Basquiat’s art in particular is the dense layering of text and images, which produce an eclectic mix of thoughts and ideas.