Catalogue for the forthcoming Jack Morrocco solo exhibition, LASTING IMPRESSIONS, at Morningside Gallery . The exhibition runs from August 7th - 29th. All artworks are available to purchase on receipt of this catalogue.
M O R N I N G S I D E G A L L E R Y
J A C K M O R R O C C O
L A S T I N G I M P R E S S I O N S
L A S T I N G I M P R E S S I O N S J A C K M O R R O C C O
AUGUST 7TH - 29TH 2021
M O R N I N G S I D E G A L L E R Y
N O T E S :
All paintings are for sale and may be purchased or reserved prior to the Preview Evening. We kindly request that decisions on reserves are made by 10am on Friday the 6th of August. Please contact us if you would like further images of a painting or to arrange an in-gallery or virtual viewing appointment prior to the Preview Evening.
Painting sizes are width x height and include the frame.
L A S T I N G I M P R E S S I O N S A S O L O E X H I B I T I O N
A Jack Morrocco solo exhibition is a journey through many different subjects and styles, and many different impressions. There is the sense of moving from one place to the next and from one subject to another; from the heightened drama of the traditional still life paintings to the mesmerising tranquility of the lilyponds at sunset. Jack describes himself as an artist who needs the challenge of frequently changing subject matter; he would become bored painting the same subject or painting everything within the framework of a single style. There is of course a little bit more to it than this. Jack’s ability to reach across many genres comes not only from years of skilled visual observation but also an openness to be moved by the atmosphere or essence of his subject; to feel and sense that which the eye cannot see but which is so unequivocally of that thing or place. With this willingness to be led by his subject, Jack creates the feeling of ‘being there’ on the canvas, whether he is in the studio with reflective silverware and lilies or sitting in the hazy warmth of Provence watching the light dapple over the square. Upon first sight Jack’s studio still life paintings differ from his other works; these are paintings that can be appreciated primarily for their formal qualities of colour and composition. However Jack is led by the subject here as much as in his landscape paintings, it is simply that the subject is more personal. These are paintings that tell a story of the objects, artworks and people that have left an impression upon Jack as an artist and as an individual, and in this sense they add a richness and a depth to any exhibition or personal collection of his paintings. Witnessing the impact that Jack’s paintings have on people is a privilege of exhibiting his work. We get so much more than a technically brilliant silver jug or a beautifully painted Italian cafe scene, as Jack invites us to share in that ‘something else’ that makes a place or a thing so unquestionably itself. We hope you agree that this, our first Jack Morrocco solo exhibition, is one that awakens the senses, brings many a subject to life and leaves a long and lasting impression.
Eileadh Swan, Gallery Director
I N T R O D U C T I O N
It’s difficult to know why some sensations stay with us either consciously or subconsciously, why the smell of a cigar outdoors can transport me back to Paris as a child, why some pieces of music identify the place and time I first heard them or why the face of a friend can be recognised instantly many years later. There is something in all our senses that creates and stores this lasting impression, an essence that can be recalled and evokes the original sensation once more. This is one of many things I strive to do in my landscape work - firstly to seek out an image that speaks to me of that time and place and then to capture that impression - the colour, the feeling, the mood, the quality of light, even the heat. The detail is less important than the overall impression of being there, and the intrusion of the modern world is excluded to seek this lasting impression. The sensation is the subject and the fleeting becomes lasting. I remember the first time I saw the dappled light of plane trees falling on the languid water of the Canal du Midi creating its own shimmering movement; I remember the heat of the morning and light filtered through trees and parasols in the beautiful Provence village of Tourtour; I remember a gondola gliding through a shaft of light in a back canal in Venice – these are all sensations which created a lasting impression, and they have all become subjects for my work. The attempt to process the subject and find a way that captures its essence is common to the various genres of my work, with the technique and brushwork adapting to suit but all determined by the subject. Still life and studio subjects are rendered in a broad way, with economical brushwork to describe the main elements with more of an eye to the overall impression of the piece than the finer detail. With my compositions too this can translate into finding a balance between favourite remembered artworks and objects, shapes, patterns, textures and colours which are composed to create memorable images that hopefully hold the viewer’s interest. With this exhibition I feel privileged to have the opportunity to share my interpretations and my impressions of the world around me, and I hope that the paintings here may strike a chord with you too.
Jack Morrocco DA, FRSA
F R A N C E France was for many years literally a second home for me and my studio in the South became a base to explore the villages and towns that have attracted painters for generations. It’s true what they say about the quality of the light but I would add a quality of life that makes the entire environment so special.
Dappled Light, Aix en Provence Oil on Canvas | 90 x 90 cm | £8500
Filtered Light, Place Littera, Aix Oil on Canvas | 76 x 76 cm | £6500
Café Terroirs, Place aux Herbes, Uzes Oil on Canvas | 61 x 61 cm | £4950
Dejeuner, Market day, Uzes Oil on Canvas | 121 x 71 cm | £8750
Canal Du Midi near Beziers Oil on Canvas | 121 x 71 cm | £8750
Café, Lourmarin Oil on Canvas | 56 x 56 cm | £3950
Fruit Market, Aix en Provence Oil on Canvas | 50 x 50 cm | £2995
Tourtour, Provence Oil on Canvas | 121 x 71 cm | £8750
Summer Dresses, Market Stall, Aix Oil on Canvas | 50 x 50 cm | £2995
In the Shade, Panier du Jade, Menerbes Oil on Canvas | 50 x 50 cm | £2995
I T A L Y I t is perhaps the timeless qualities of cities such as Venice, Lucca and even areas of Rome together with smaller villages like Portofino that attract my eye, the built environment and daily life seeming almost unchanged over hundreds of years. The country that gives names to so much of my palette – Venetian Red, Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber and Terra Rosa – holds a special place in my “half Italian” heart.
Portofino Oil on Canvas | 121 x 121 cm | £14500
Rio Orseolo, Venice Oil on Canvas | 61 x 61 cm | £4950
Riello de Santa Sofia, Cannaregio, Venice Oil on Canvas | 61 x 61 cm | £4950
Rio de Santa Sofia, Cannaregio, Venice Oil on Canvas | 96 x 80 cm | £8500
Light and Shade, Rio dei Barcaroli, Venice Oil on Canvas | 66 x 66 cm | £5250
Rio di San Felice, Venice Oil on Canvas | 56 x 56 cm | £3950
Café La Corte, Campo San Polo, Venice Oil on Canvas | 61 x 61 cm | £4950
La Piazetta, Passing Clouds (study) Oil on Board | 45 x 40 cm | £2600
Piazza Napoleone, Lucca Oil on Canvas | 121 x 71 cm | £8750
Caffe Navona, Rome Oil on Canvas | 61 x 61 cm | £4950
Gelateria, Piazza Navona, Rome Oil on Canvas | 61 x 61 cm | £4950
Chapel Vitaleta, near Montalcino Oil on Canvas | 50 x 50 cm | £2995
S P A I N I am guilty of having been late to the party with Spain but recent (pre COVID) trips to Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga and Palma have produced some interesting canvases and promise much for the future.
Hot Afternoon, Plaza de Rodrigo Botet, Valencia Oil on Canvas | 112 x 81 cm | £8950
Beach Day, Palamos Oil on Board | 45 x 40 cm | £2600
WA T E R L I L I E S Having studied waterlilies as a subject for over three years now I am just beginning to understand what Monet found so fascinating. The interplay of two visual planes, the vertical almost two dimensional reflection with the horizontal defined by the lily pads, teases the eye into believing in a three dimensional space. The lily pads themselves can be almost iridescent and form infinitely varied abstract patterns.
Waterlilies, Setting Sun Oil on Canvas | 147 x 121 cm | £16000
Waterlilies, Morning Study Oil on Canvas | 56 x 66 cm | £4950
Lilypond, Late Afternoon Study Oil on Canvas | 56 x 66 cm | £4950
Lily Pond, Late Afternoon Sun Oil on Canvas | 240 x 130 cm | £28000
Lilypond, First Light Oil on Canvas | 142 x 112 cm | £14250
Lilypond, Last Light Oil on Canvas | 142 x 112 cm | £14250
Waterlilies, Shallow Pool Oil on Canvas | 96 x 96 cm | £8950
T R A D I T I O N A L S T I L L L I F E
My large silverware and flower pieces have become something of a signature style for me and one which owes much to my formal training. Although traditional in format, I like to work in very bright colours accentuated and thrown into sharp relief by their placement against a predominantly dark background, something borrowed from 16th century Flemish painting along with the near table height viewpoint.
Stargazer Lilies and Silver Ewer Oil on Canvas | 96 x 96 cm | £8950
White Lilies and Striped Cloth Oil on Canvas | 90 x 90 cm | £8500
Dutch Glass and Silver Teapot Oil on Canvas | 90 x 90 cm | £8500
Rhododendrons and Silver Pot Oil on Canvas | 61 x 61 cm | £4950
Pink Lilies and Silver Pot Oil on Canvas | 61 x 61 cm | £4950
Yellow Roses and Silver Pot Oil on Canvas | 61 x 61 cm | £4950
White Roses and Silver Teapot Oil on Canvas | 61 x 61 cm | £4950
Silver Teapot and Rhododendrons Oil on Canvas | 90 x 90 cm | £8500
S T U D I O S T I L L L I F E My studio still life compositions allow me to exercise a completely different creative muscle from the observation of my landscape and traditional still life work. I love to be able to juggle shape, pattern, colour and content to create these designs without too much adherence to the strictures of formal still life or perspective. They are in essence collections of elements from my studio and indeed my life and, in their “picture making” owe much to my time spent in the graphic design industry. I like to include images from painters past, from those who have been an inspiration to me and to my work.
Mandolin and Saltimbanques Oil on Canvas | 96 x 96 cm | £8950
Still Life with a Card from David Oil on Canvas | 122 x 96 cm | £10750
Sunflowers and Caravaggio Oil on Canvas | 112 x 106 cm | £10750
J A C K M O R R O C C O D A , F R S A
Jack Morrocco was born in Edinburgh in 1953 and educated at Madras College, St Andrews.
Jack went on to study Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee, between 1970 and 1974, under Alberto Morrocco OBE, James Morrison, Peter Collins, Jack Knox, David McClure and Gordon Cameron. This was followed by a Post Graduate year of study at Duncan of Jordanstone, after which he was awarded a highly commended post diploma - the highest possible award at the time.
In 1973 he was selected to study at Hospitalfield House, Arbroath, under the renowned pop artist Sir Peter Blake CBE.
In 1975 Jack was awarded the Farquhar Reid Travelling Scholarship and chose to spend it in Paris and Florence.
Following his studies, Jack worked as an illustrator before going on to establish a successful design and marketing agency in Dundee. During this time he painted for various galleries in Scotland and the annual RGI and RSW exhibitions. Jack began painting full time in 1997 and since then he has exhibited extensively in selected galleries throughout Scotland and the UK. His paintings hang in numerous corporate and private collections here and abroad.
M O R N I N G S I D E G A L L E R Y 94 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4BY 0131 447 3041 art@morningsidegallery.co.uk www.morningsidegallery.co.uk
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