Davis Morton

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

As a painter I am a Realist who is inspired by a part of our reality that is often associated with Surrealism. Rather than trying to paint the weirdness of my dreams, my work revolves around the one very clear important message the subconscious mind is always sending. Our actual reality is much deeper and profound than just the surface we are used to seeing.

As harbingers that bring this message, my dreams come with soft distortions and muted sounds instead of screams. When something strikes me with this kind of depth, I use the photographs I take and my drawings to create a composition. Then I let my painting dictate what it wants to be. Like the strange importance of an object in a dream, I’m surprised by the significance an object can acquire when it is painted. I am intrigued by other things that almost can’t be changed, like the odd stillness of something that should be moving or a certain likeness that looks like someone else.

Just as in the best of dreams, I may not always be able to interpret the meanings of my paintings but I do know what I have never tried to say. I have never tried to make a social statement with my work or to teach a lesson. I don’t try to amuse or shock anyone and I have never tried to paint a “charming frozen moment.”

I want every painting I do to be like a living moment, with a past, a present and a future that moves on unresolved saying something indistinct. Rather than trying to paint reality just the way it looks I would like my paintings to say something of its essence. I would like my work to haunt.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Davis W. Morton IV spent his childhood in Bronxville, New York and in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He went to private boarding schools in New York and in Towson, Maryland until getting married at the age of sixteen. At that time Morton started painting seriously, working full time and going to high school then college at night.

Of the twenty years he spent as a policeman in Montgomery County, Maryland, Morton was a Detective for fourteen years working in the homicide, sex and robbery sections. He worked several years undercover and was also the police artist for eighteen years.

Since the early 1990's Morton has been able to devote all of his time to painting as his sole career.

EDUCATION

Due to early responsibilities, Morton was unable to attend art school. Other than one anatomy course, taken from Frank Wright at George Washington University, Morton is a self-taught artist.

He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature from the University of Maryland.

Since 1975 he has traveled yearly to visit the galleries and museums of Europe, Asia, South America and Africa to further his education.

GALLERIES / AFFILIATIONS / EXHIBITIONS (partial listing)

"American Arts Quarterly" Magazine (article published, Winter 2002)

"American Artist" Magazine (article, December 2000)

"America's Most Wanted" Washington, DC (six appearances and drawings aired)

Antreasian Gallery, Baltimore Md. (show July 2005) www.antreasiangallery.com

Art Effects Gallery, Merion, PA.

Arts Club of Washington, Washington, DC (show 1997)

Art Network Group, Bethesda, MD (publisher)

The Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA (Realism show 2001)

The Atlanta Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia

Baltimore Choral Arts Society, Baltimore, MD (show 2001)

"Baltimore Magazine" ("Thames Street" published in article September 2005)

"The Beacon" (article in Baltimore issue March of 2009)

Beresford Gallery, Boyds, MD and Saratoga, New York

Capricorn Gallery, Bethesda, MD

CNN "Wolf Blitzer Reports" (Live interview, October 2002)

Cudahy's Gallery, Richmond, VA

David Adamson Editions, Washington, DC

Fine Arts and Artists, Washington, DC

Fellus Gallery, Washington, DC

Fisher Gallery, Washington, DC (show 1997)

Foxhall Gallery, Washington, DC

Hemphill Fine Arts, Washington, DC

"Hillrag" Magazine ("Tango #2 appeared on cover, February 2005)

Joseph Keiffer Inc., New York, New York (Agent)

La Petite Galerie, Annapolis, MD

Mckissick Museum, Columbia, SC ( shows1999, 2001 Norrell collection)

North Dakota Museum of Art (show 2001)

Ontogeny, Potomac, MD (Phyllis Beek-Agent)

Occidental Grill, Washington, DC (show May 2001)

Pandion Gallery, Fishers Island, New York ("Sporting Art" show)

Paper - Rock - Scissors Gallery, Baltimore MD

Portrait Representatives, Towson, MD (Jean Trout-Agent)

Rablen West Gallery, Vero Beach, Florida ("Polo Paintings" show)

Somerville-Manning Gallery, Greenville, Delaware

"US Artists" show, Philadelphia, PA (Joseph Keiffer)

Veerhoff Gallery, Washington, DC

White Canvas Gallery, Richmond, VA www.whitecanvasgallery.com

WTTG-FOX NEWS (Live interview, October 2002)

Zenith Gallery, Washington, DC www.zenithgallery.com

Presently, Morton is represented by the Zenith Gallery in Washington, DC, the Atlanta Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia and La Petite Galerie in Annapolis, Maryland.