Pard Morrison
The creator behind the colorful, geometric sculptures that stand on a natural landscape is painter and sculptor Pard Morrison. The artist creates a visual juxtaposition between nature and something industrially made with an emphasis on color. But the question people might pose as they observe Morrison’s flamboyant work is, “What does it all mean?”
Using bright colors as a compositional tool, Morrison paints over the stacked welded blocks of plate aluminum to create these geometric towers. Morrison activates the audience’s attention by choosing the right colors to keep people experienced and moving around the work.
“Hearthmouth,” one of Morrison’s sculptures that sits next to the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, is an elegy towards sincerity.
“If you are going to say something it better be from the heart,” he said.
The piece is an unexpected touch to the community, adding a pop of color to the concrete it rests on.
Isabelle Rodriguez, a spectator of Morrison’s piece “Heartmouth,” described the art as “intriguing” and left wanting more.
“It caught my eye as I was walking nearby, so I came over to get a better look at it,” she said.
Morrison has been creating large and small pieces since he graduated from Colorado State University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and a concentration in sculpture. Unlike some college graduates who deviate from their intended career path, Morrison engineered his daydreams into a lifestyle.
It was the moment when he saw a piece by installation artist, James Turrell “Trace Elements” at the Denver Art Museum when he was in college, that he knew making art was something he wanted to do with his life.
Art is a form of expression. Morrison describes his sculptures as a way to explore questions and concerns he has brewing in his head.
“It’s something that I can totally translate everything going on inside of me and put it in a contextual experience for the world,” Morrison said.
Although not every audience member may perceive the personal issues he is trying to express when a piece is created, he wants his work to convey “a sense of happiness, joy and a cathartic experience.”
Owner and director of Rule Gallery in Denver, Colorado, Valerie Santerli, represented Morrison’s work in 2014. Santerli spoke about Morrison with great pride, calling him “driven and dedicated to his practice.”
“Even though the sculptures appear very rigid, there is also a warmth and emotional connection you have to the work. That comes through when you approach it, you can see the brush strokes, you can see the tenderness in the work, and I really enjoy that balance,” she said.
Morrison describes the concept of public art as unifying. For the future, Morrison hopes to continue working with public spaces as it might break down walls for society. He believes people can find common ground and empathy in art that is accessible in a public space.
“My work is a product of myself and society. It’s a collection of how I interpret things.”
Contact Information:
Pard Morrison: pard3@aol.com, 719-360-0697
Valerie Santerli: pr@rulegallery.com, 720-626-1053
Isabelle Rodriguez: isabelle.kathryn1@gmail.com, 419-377-8727