"My interest in the Glenfiddich residency stems from a line of investigation in my art practice that explores architectural features that characterise regional and folk identities as the starting point for social, historical and spatial investigations. At this stage in my career I am interested in conducting a site-specific architectural design case study and this residency would help me to achieve this. I am especially interested in art forms that serve a dual purpose like lighting or signage, so I have chosen to focus on the rooftop pagoda forms at the distillery. Their design was the work of architect Charles Doig, whose success with the Doig Ventilator, the proper name for these pagodas, led to its widespread use. These ventilators would inspire a repeating pattern design that would create the basis of a new series of oil paintings made in residency. Similar to my “Mushroom Motif” series, this pattern could also be applied to wallpaper, textiles or packaging design. In this way the “Glenfiddich Motif” produced in residency would have broader avenues of dissemination, inhabiting new places and informing future works. This new work will combine my interest in architectural and design history, place making and marketing and promotional aesthetics."
Alex Morrison has been working as a professional artist for 25 years. He was born in Redruth, England, grew up in Canada and currently lives and works in Vancouver. Since the beginning of his career he has exhibited his work internationally in solo and group exhibitions. Solo exhibitions include: Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver (2022); White Columns, Independent, Brussels, (2017); Levy Delval, Brussels (2017); Komplot, Brussels (2016); Simon Fraser University Art Gallery, Vancouver (2015); Burnaby Art Gallery, Vancouver (2015); OG2 at Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne (2012); Frankfurt Kunstverein (2003); Mercer Union (2000); Group shows include: Palais Des Beaux Arts Bruxelles, (2018); L’inconnue, Montreal (2018); François Ghebaly Gallery, Los Angeles (2015); Vancouver Art Gallery (2015); Walter Phillips Gallery (2014); Vienna Kunsthalle, Vienna (2014); Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach, Germany (2013); Witte de With, Rotterdam (2011) 17th Sydney Biennial (2010). He has lectured on his work at institutions such as The Royal College of Art, London, The MCA Australia, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, The University of Victoria, Mercer Union Gallery, Toronto and the Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne. He was awarded Canada’s Berlin Residency at Kunstlerhaus Bethanien in 2003. His work has been published in numerous books and periodicals internationally.
"My practice employs painting, sculpture, and ceramics to explore the social and spatial histories of Canada’s West Coast, where I grew up. Blurring the lines between sculpture, furniture, and décor, my work incorporates biographical references and historical research, along with appropriations from fine art, folk vernacular, and sub-culture. Thematically, my work focuses on the intersection of heritage, the built environment, and selfhood, examining how the various materials, aesthetics, and objects associated with public and domestic spaces in the present simultaneously shape and are shaped by individual identity, societal values, and our understanding of the past."
