Gymnopedies 1983

Keith Morrison’s ‘Gymnopedies’ is a board painting where shifting figures and forms emerge through trial, error, and intuition. Looking at this piece, I can see the artist is juggling with these different, almost cellular-like shapes. The figures are like a puzzle; they might be dancing or maybe even fighting? He’s thinking about how bodies fit together, or don’t, and how they push and pull against each other. I bet that when Morrison made this, he was really trying to think through something, trying to make sense of relationships or connections. The specks all over the painting make it feel like everything is in motion. Each color and mark must have been so important for him to get just right. He was probably influenced by abstract painters like Kandinsky. Painting is an ongoing exchange of ideas, and artists are constantly inspiring each other’s creativity. Ultimately, this painting is about embracing uncertainty and allowing for multiple interpretations.