Over a career spanning multiple decades and ranging from graffiti and tattooing to his increasingly prominent studio output, Morks is a singular creative force. The artist from the foothills of the Southern Alps is in the midst of a busy period – opening two shows within a fortnight: the survey-like Enter the Void at Oxford Gallery – Toi o Waimakariri, where a range of works represent his myriad influences, from folk art to skateboarding, his military service, love of nature, tattoo, graffiti and more; and Two-Way Street at The Central in central Ōtautahi, a group show centred on the mentor-mentee relationship between Morks, sculptor Luca McDonnell, and the late Philip Trusttum, ONZM, one of Aotearoa’s most accomplished painters.
Morks and Trusttum developed a fast friendship in the last years of the older artist’s life, a connection that provided Morks with invaluable knowledge and guidance. While the two shows are decidedly different, Trusttum’s influence is clear, especially in the larger works on unstretched canvas – a format that pushes Morks’ exploration of colour, dynamism and scale. In the Enter the Void, Morks’ imagination runs free, found objects are transformed and juxtaposed with painted and illustrated two-dimensional works, creating a dizzying effect where the viewer is invited to immerse themselves in whirring life. Morks’ collection of works in Two-Way Street is more focussed, but highlights his growing confidence, a sense of maturity that ensures his paintings fit perfectly alongside those of Trusttum. The day after the opening of Two-Way Street, we took the drive out to Oxford, and after an obligatory pie from the Sheffield Pie Shop, we took in Enter the Void, before sitting down with the artist to discuss what has been a busy time – fitting for someone with a self-described busy creative mind…
Continue reading “Morks: The Busy Mind – Enter the Void @ Oxford Gallery and Two-Way Street @ The Central”