Palomar

Palomar. 1968. Silkscreen print by Michael Morris. Artist Proof 12/14. signed by Michael Morris (needs cleaning) bottom left edge of print soiled (oil?). ple x i/wood frame: 64.7 x 50.5cm 2014.07.25 note from Michael Morris: The original version of "Palomar" was fabricated in 1968 for the exhibition called Vancouver Sculpture (?) at the Fine Arts Gallery, U.B.C. curated by Alvin Balkind. The title refers to the California Observatory. At the time (1968) I was spending a lot of time in Los Angeles with the art critic Kurt Von Meir and the artists in the Venice scene, as well as those wo were working with Ken Tyler's Gemini studio, including Robert Rauischenberg. I was also preparing an installation piece involving photo greyscale blow-ups on 4' x 8' plywood panels separated with strips of mirror for a Vancouver scene show for the Newport Beach Gallery to be opened in the next year. "Palomar" a sculpture with three changeable units made of coloured Plexiglass shares a nostalgic sense of the faded facades of Hollywood Deco architecture popular with many of my contemporaries in the L.A.scene. The piece had been forgotten and suffered considerable damage until it came to light again while researching my work of that period. In retropect the piece does reflect many of my on going themes so I decided to ahve the work fabricated again as a mquette for a more permanent work. The maqueette has been editioned in three different colours as were first shown at the Satellite Gallery in 2012 (?).