“Notes and Ideas,” Clarence Morgan’s exhibition opened on the 30th of September, following a lecture by the artist. During his talk Morgan shared hundreds of his paintings with the audience of about 75-100, and led us through his journey from his student years to the present.
Clarence Morgan is an established painter who has held solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally in the past ten years. Morgan grew up in Philadelphia, studied at the University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine arts and is currently teaching painting at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he also served as the chair of the Department of Art in the past six years . His exhibition, Notes and Ideas was shown at two institutions in Beijing, China as well as at James Madison University prior to arriving at York College.
Morgan’s lecture focused more on his advice to students than it did on himself and his work. His philosophy about art and its teachings was relevant not only to art students but students of all disciplines. He skillfully discussed issues important to him through his art and raised awareness of the often misunderstood nature of abstraction. “Art is the way that opens up the door to imagination,” Morgan said. He also emphasized the importance of the often undervalued art departments in colleges and universities. According to him, art is not something that is there for sheer entertainment, but art stimulates the senses, poses important questions about personal or global issues and contributes to lifelong learning and developing. Morgan concluded that the role of the professor in art is to “pedal hope” of the students and guide them through their own journey of becoming themselves.
The professor mentioned that abstraction provides new ways of thinking and “greater possibilities for our imaginations.” He emphasized the importance of travel and the life-changing experiences that inevitably come with it. He showed the evolution of his work from figurative through geometric abstraction to organic abstraction, and how his experiences with Islamic panel works, Turkish rugs and African textile laced into his art and influenced the paintings of this exhibition. Morgan encouraged students to travel and expand their world by experiencing other cultures and keep striving to become always changing individuals.
Clarence Morgan’s titles are not meant to guide the viewer or impose any meaning but extend an invitation to the soaring of imagination. The titles, like Mystery of Miracles, Natural Inclination, and Light Breathing, to mention a few, are open-ended conversations with the artist, the art and us. They inspire posing questions about the paintings, the artist and our lives. The square canvases and unfinished forms placed on the edges give us the freedom to expand the works outside of the paintings’ edges into infinity and the imaginative world of our mind.
There is a refuge, from the swarming world of deadlines, papers and exams, in Wolf Hall. Here, in the galleries, everyone can have a quiet moment and escape for a few minutes or hours to be alone in the presence of great works of art. Notwithstanding, the opening receptions of the exhibitions are good opportunities to enjoy social atmosphere, refreshments, live music and friends.
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