March 25–April 22, 2023
Los Angeles
Steve Turner is pleased to present Acting Ordinary, a solo exhibition featuring recent paintings by Hannah Morris that incorporate reconstructed and collaged imagery clipped from the pages of popular American magazines from the 1940s through 1970s over which she paints with flat colors. Morris invents ambiguous narratives within everyday scenes (bus depot, hotel lobby, tea party, workplace) and populates them with people that are slightly off kilter with elongated torsos, large feet and small heads. The characters seem to be doing something, but they do not appear to be working together. According to Morris, it is important that she uses the actual material of history as the basis for an underpainting and that she follows her intuition to obscure and refashion it.
Hannah Morris (born 1974, Bennington, Vermont) earned a BA at Bates College, Lewiston, Maine (1996) and an MA at Stellenbosch University, South Africa (2007). She has had solo exhibitions at Northern Daughters Gallery, Vergennes, Vermont (2019 & 2021) and has had her work included in group exhibitions in South Africa and the United States since 2007. Morris lives and works in Barre, Vermont. This is her first exhibition at Steve Turner.
Born 1974, Bennington, Vermont
Lives and works in Barre, Vermont
Education
2007
MPhil in Visual Arts, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
1996
BA, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine
Solo Exhibitions
2023
Movable Objects, Brattleboro Museum & Arts Center, Brattleboro, Vermont (upcoming)
Acting Ordinary, Steve Turner, Los Angeles
2021
On Second Thought, Northern Daughters Gallery, Vergennes, Vermont
2019
Waiting to Happen, Northern Daughters Gallery, Vergennes
2018
The Feast of Fools, Studio Place Arts, Barre
2015
Things to Remember Camping, Spotlight Gallery, Montpelier, Vermont
2009
Através do Olho Mágico/Through the Peephole, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Group Exhibitions
2021
Anticipation, Stella Quarta Decima, Manchester, Vermont De-Functioning the Functional, Studio Place Arts, Barre
2020
Winter White, Northern Daughters, Vergennes 2018 Affordable Art Fair, New York
Artists to Watch 2018, Spotlight Gallery, Montpelier
2017
Festival of Lights, Helen Day Arts Center, Stowe, Vermont
Refuge, Kent Museum, Calais, Vermont
2011
Hybrid World, Gowanus Print Lab, Brooklyn
2010
The Sketchbook Project, Art House Co-op, Brooklyn
2008
Playrom, Curious, Whetstone & Frankley Gallery, Cape Town
Candy I, AVA Gallery, Cape Town 2007 Paper & Me, AVA Gallery, Cape Town
Grants, Residencies and Awards
2021
Monson Arts, Monson, Maine
2018
Artist-in-Residence Program, Studio Place Arts, Barre
2014
Residency Award, Turkey Land Cove Foundation, Martha’s Vineyard
2009
Don Freeman Memorial Grant, Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators
2008
Residency Fellowship, Instituto Sacatar, Itaparica, Brazil
2007
Best South African Children’s Book, Honour List Books for International Recognition, South Africa
2006
Merit Award for Picture Book, 3×3 Magazine of Contemporary Illustration, New York
2004
Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship, Burlington, Vermont
Bibliography
2023
New American Paintings, Number 158, Northeast Issue
2020
B. Amore, “Winter White,” Art New England, December
2019
Amy Lilly and Pamela Polston, “Lasting Impressions: Our Top-10 Vermont Art Shows of 2019,” Seven Days, December 25
Ric Kasini Kadour, “Waiting to Happen,” Kolaj, October 19
Pamela Polston, “Committed to Memory – ‘Waiting to Happen: Hannah Morris,’ Northern Daughters,” Seven Days, September 25
Megan James, “Waiting to Happen: A new exhibit at Northern Daughter,” Addison County Independent, September 12
2018
Ric Kasini Kadour, “Artist to Watch: Hannah Morris – A Thousand Remembered Moments,” Vermont Art Guide, No. 6, February
Amy Lilly, “Show 24 at The Front,” Art New England 37, No. 1, January
Suzanne Podhaizer, “Show 23 Goes with the Flow at The Front Gallery,” The Bridge, January 25
2017
Mary Gow, “The Front: A New Look at Local Artists,” Rutland Herald, December 9
2016
Amy Lilly, “Gallery Profile: The Front, Montpelier,” Seven Days, May 4
2009
“Featured Artist Interview – Hannah Morris,” DesignTaxi, April 13
