Ross Morgan is a multi-award winning artist whose studio is located in Adelaide Arcade. His work is surreal and illustrative. I first came upon his work during SALA.His inspiration comes from children’s book illustrators and film. He is a serendipitous painter who works in a stream of consciousness, where ach one of his works flows into the next and thus a story is perpetuated. I have chosen only a small selection of his paintings to describe here, though there are many more that go off on various tangents. His characters embark on a myriad of adventures crossing over into different genres and mediums. It is the story that fascinates me when I look at Ross Morgan’s work.
“Elephant on Skates”, 2011 is an elephant on bright red roller skates. One of the first in this series it describes an elephant performing in a circus. The centre ring is formed with red and yellow squares and the elephant performs; raising its trunk and lifting its leg. Yet in the background and on the circus floor there are faded blue prints of mechanical contraptions that speak of grand designs and distant dreams. The contrasting elements that Morgan has used in this work stabilise the form of the elephant in the space. Dark and light tones serve to give the animal weight. The cream background is softened with white creating a dusty ethereal air. The elephant is a cumbersome animal and looks awkward on roller skates. Yet with its raised trunk and happy looking smile it seems content enough.
“Storm Carnivale”, 2010 describes a time when tragedy strikes as the circus burns down and, the elephant is rescued by a young lady. She is dressed in a plain dress with a red jumper. Draped around her shoulders is a tattered shawl. Yet there is still a hint of a carnival lifestyle in her stripped socks. Her red shoes hint at Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz; wanting to be home. She carries the elephant in a bird-cage and protects herself from the oncoming storm with a large umbrella. The circus is still and silent in the distance, its vibrant colours now silenced. A vicious storm looms above the pair as they venture forth. With a bright light from the heavens on her face the woman’s gaze is held to the sky and the great beyond. The surrealistic symbolism of a woman rescuing the elephant in a small cage takes on a new meaning when we discover that the woman is in fact Ross Morgan’s wife. The hand with which she holds the elephant bares a ring. She is taking her newly rescued pet to another land. They wish to escape and though surrounded by storms there is a light in the distance. She protects her new companion; sheltered with an umbrella they journey off to new horizons.
The woman happens upon a magician who is also an inventor. One of his fantastic inventions is a magical red box that imparts objects placed within it with wings. This painting; “Baby Winged Elephant”; 2012, describes the moment when the rescued elephant emerges from the box, ready to fly off to adventures in another place. The red box is bold and vibrant. This work also utilises contrasting elements to impart interest with organic forms placed with geometric lines. Dark tones again give the object weight.
In this work the elephant is shown reborn, young and youthful after emerging from the red box, it seems to almost hatch like a butterfly from a cocoon. New wings open for the first time and it must learn the extent to which it can use them.
The magic of the box is applied to many other animals with different results. Such as this work which is titled “Volatilis Reptile Proprius”, 2012. Here we see a lizard transformed with the wings of a dragonfly. Presumably it might have also hatched from the red box. It is shown on a white surface as if it were a specimen in a museum collection of oddities. The lizard is curled up and dried with a purple and blue shadow in the background highlighting its form on the white surface.
Ross Morgan’s work is interesting and whimsical and I am sure the story will continue. I cannot wait to see the next instalment. In the tradition of illustrative artists such as Sean Tan, Ross Morgan’s work tells a story; in many ways it can be viewed as autobiographical (as most art can be) and allows you, the viewer to escape into a pleasant world of imagery. Please take the time to visit him in his studio
