The Minimalist Gallery - A John S. Morgan Retrospective





Black on Black 1972

The intensity of his colors speak to emotional possibilities and feelings. Black can be seen as the absense of coloration or that entity whichabsorbss all colors of the spectrum. The complete autonomy of the artist is seen here as he boldly chooses the color from his palette. Enough is enough; no compromise is made with commercialism here. To view the subtleties inherent in this work, be sure to click on the title.




These works, so suitable for the genre, leave most of the canvas in an unadorned, pristine, natural, and uniform condition. The artist brings his unique perspective and talent for placement to this series as you will see as you explore in turn each canvas by clicking on the appropriate title.

This series is undoubtedly a tribute to Diagonal of May 25, 1963 by Dan Flavin. The museum staff is often asked how Flavin's sculpture that has all the appearance of a long florescent lamp mounted on a vertical wall at a 45 degree angle, similar to what one could purchase at Home Depot for about $29.95, could come to represent a priceless and enduring treasure. The answer is art.

Sometimes art is inherent in the presentation as opposed to within the object itself. We should consider Flavin's piece (and this series by Morgan) more a proposal than a sculpture (or painting), more a part of an investigative system than as static art.

Artificial Light, 1972
Preternatural Illumination, 1974
Untitled, 1976
Compact Comfort, 1978





Primrose Path, 1975

Minimalist Art uses the fewest and simplest elements to achieve the greatest effect. It is an abstract art which consists primarily of simple geometric forms, often of a quotidian nature, executed in an impersonal style. In this work we see a minimalist endeavor presented in a classical triptych form.

Orange and Violet and Green on Yellow, 1974

Art critics affirm that Orange and Violet and Green on Yellow emerged as a tribute to Ellsworth Kelly and his Curved Red on Blue; the curved red line of Kelly's bears a remarkable resemblance to a red question mark sans dot, touching the edges of the canvas on four sides, immersed in a field of blue.

Semilog in Orange, 1973

Clearly a tribute to Agnes Martin whose minimalist endeavors typically take the form of a rectilinear graph. John S. Morgan's Semilog in Orange exhibits a metaphysical pragmatism peculiarly North American.