JJ Morgan
Artist's Statement
Handmade, visceral, sometimes verging on the abject, JJ Morgan’s work resists easy consumption.
Claggy acrylic paint contrasts with slick enamel; surfaces are scratched, scraped or cut out and include ‘low art’ materials like aluminium dibond (typically used in signage), perspex or reclaimed wood which she scavenges for her frames or draws on with felt tip.
This raw materiality combined with the artlessness of her brushwork grabs the eye. We experience a jolt of recognition as we make the connection to our own imperfect bodies in an imperfect world. In this world, signs appear but meaning and narrative break down so all that’s left is what we can see and touch and a shared wry humour in the face of our own mortality. We recognise this sense of transience in JJ Morgan’s work as well as the unexpected flash of beauty in the everyday echoed in her use of colour and form.
Inspiration and influences: Amy Sillman; Forrest Bess; Phyllida Barlow; Arte Povera; Thomas Nozkowski; phenomenology.
Instagram: jjmorganartist