Marc Morrel   by Geoffrey Witte

    It is a difficult task pinpointing the mystique and diversity found in the work of Marc Morrel. Initial impressions can be misleading. Through a long history and a creative mind that has explored a vast spectrum of concepts the illusive character of Morrel’s work is somehow a combination of the earliest record of human activity; of breaking down and building up in nature’s changing evolution, images evoked through mythological and metaphysical concepts, and a far reaching vision into the future. The almost magical concepts are ever present for Morrel, and it is these concepts that dictate the material and approach. It is in the later and current work that the mystery and magical qualities become so apparent. We see in the monolithic photographs a meditative journey of questioning through visual participation. In the paintings celebrating the ancient records of Native Americans, we experience once again an invitation into another world yet still our world. Further on in the work we are taken into the far-reaching galaxies of the unknown  with which we are connected. Within these chapters of work we are exposed to the idea of, how can it be like that; or why is it like this? Where are we going? Where have we come from? Morrel goes beyond the idea of self-expression or art for the sake of it; his work is more an awakening through a visual meditation, almost an invitation into a spiritual world through visual experience. In the paintings, which came from close observations of the total eclipse of the sun, we see clearly that we are looking at a picture and beyond, perhaps the mirror of our sensations. In all the work of Morrel we see that the conceptual element is a very powerful one yet the paintings themselves remain works in their own right. The more you look the more you see, the more you question the greater the mystery.

Biography

1937 Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA

1964 Daniels gallery, NYC “Hard edge” group exhibition

1965 Van Bovenkamp gallery, NYC  Erotic Art” group exhibition.

World House gallery, NYC  “Yesterday, today and tomorrow” group exhibition

Van Bovenkamp gallery, NYC “Shaped canvas” group exhibition.

World House gallery, NYC “Sculpture from all directions” group exhibition

1966 Stephen Radich gallery, NYC  solo exhibition

Graham gallery, NYC  “Stuffed expressionism” group exhibition

1967 New York University, NYC,  group exhibition

1968 –1970 American federation of the Arts, traveling exhibition

“Patriotic Images in American Art”

Museum of Contemporary Crafts, NYC,  group exhibition

1970 Camden Art center, London England  solo exhibition

25^th Edinburgh Festival  solo exhibition

1973 Camden council Library, London  group exhibition

1975 Film podium, Radium cinema Zurich, Switzerland

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam  “UMO” group exhibition

Van Abbe Museum, Netherlands  film showing

1981 Guild of Transcultural Studies London  "Lines and Circles"

1982 Schipol Airport Amsterdam  group exhibition

1983 Gallery de Zoeker, Ouderkerk a/d Amstel, Netherlands  group exhibition

1984 Het Ouderkerk Amsterdam  group exhibition

1985 Het Ouderkerk Amsterdam  group exhibition

1991 Au bout de Monde gallery, Amsterdam  solo exhibition

1994 Atelier Eric, Utrecht Netherlands  group exhibition

1995 Gallery Spirit, Amsterdam  solo exhibition

1996 Gallery Spirit, Amsterdam  solo exhibition

1997 Leeuwenhorst Congress centrum, Noordwijk Netherlands  group

1999 Gallery Spirit Amsterdam   solo exhibition

2000 Het Getaal 0 Gallery, Amsterdam   group exhibition

Video film, "Cochiti"  screened on Kunst Kanaal Amsterdam

2001 Gallery Spirit, Amsterdam Solo Exhibition

Garrie Onderhuis, Laage Zwaluwe Holland

2005 Suzanne Biederberg Gallery group exhibition

2006-2007 Biennale Argentina, AAVRA Project Patagonia

2010-2011 : "Freedom of Speech"  December - March, Kunst Verein Hamburg,

December - January,  Neuer Berliner Kunstverein Group Exhibition

Films

Venceremos 1969

Stuffed bandits 1971

Oz 1971

Cochiti  (video 22min.) 1999 -2000

Kunst Kanaal 1999

Collections

The Museum of Modern Art New York NY

University of California at Berkley

Camden council London

City of  Amsterdam

Brummelkamp galerie AMC, Amsterdam

and many other private and public collections