William Morris: Man Adorned

Throughout his career William Morris, an artist at the forefront of the studio glass movement, has explored issues of origin, myth, and the mysterious worlds of prehistoric cultures. In his Man Adorned series, however, this exploration focuses for the first time on specific and individual human figures, inspired by past or endangered peoples and civilizations.

From the earliest times, human adornment with objects or body decoration has been an important part of life. In this selection of 11 works from the 65 sculptures in the Man Adorned series, shields and spears, earrings and beads, and shells and bones adorn figures that evoke the cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. In these sculptural representations, Morris is less interested in realism or historical accuracy than in conveying the essence of culture or character. These works also attest to Morris's superlative skills as a glassworker. His ability to make blown glass take on the characteristics of bone, skin, wood, metal, and other materials is the result of technical mastery and years of experimentation. This visual transformation speaks to the mystery and magic of glass and enhances the mythical and transcendent nature of Man Adorned.

William Morris, one of the most innovative and acclaimed artists working in glass today, began his distinguished career in glassmaking at the world-renowned Pilchuck Glass School near Seattle. He was 20 years old, and his first assignment was as a truck driver and laborer. Morris was soon enlisted as an assistant to Dale Chihuly, Pilchuck's founder and a leading figure in the revolution shaping the role of studio glass in contemporary art. Mentored by Chihuly, Morris became an expert "gaffer" (a master craftsman in charge of a glassworking team) and assumed teaching responsibilities of his own. He was eventually appointed artistic director at the school, a position he left in 1991 to focus on his own work. He remains an artist-in-residence at Pilchuck, where he also maintains a studio. Morris is recognized internationally for both his technical virtuosity and his intellectual inquiry into the mysteries of myth, human origins, and nature.

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William Morris: Man Adorned
Museum of Art Theater