Heart of Glass

William Morris’ work represents an inner dialogue

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To experience a work of art by William Morris goes well beyond the visual. Provocative, mythical, powerful, elegant, luminous . . . the list of adjectives describing Morris’ singular combination of color and suabject matter references nature, culture, archeology, sociology and more. The rich, luminous colors emanate a sense of belonging to another place and time while retaining a truly modern sensibility. Vessels and jars are reminiscent of ancient peoples and cultures from across time and around the globe. Otherworldly bird and animal figures adorn vessels, hang alongside tools, or simply stand alone. The effect can be ethereal or visceral, faintly humorous or deeply moving. Unlike his predecessors, whose exquisitely fluid, jewel-colored forms enhance the very fragility and delicacy of the glass itself, Morris creates for us a new visual language. His opaque presentation of subtle browns, deep reds and amber yellows introduces this new dynamic where the colors glow from within and the surface belies its true medium.

Looking back at his first experience with Morris, one Sun Valley collector recalls, “I first saw him in his ‘Pouch’ period and I thought the colors were what really attracted me . . . it looked much more interesting to me than what others (glass artists) were doing.

“It’s really magnificent,” the collector asserts. “What really got me was the color.”

With the glossiness removed, the glass itself takes on a new, deeper dimension. Absorbing light, this internal radiance heightens both the brilliance and subtlety of the deep rich colors Morris employs. Using colors and textures belonging to nature, these singular works of art resonate with something deeper and more meaningful.

With a sincere respect and appreciation for the natural world, Morris has developed an intuitive connection with nature, one that has fueled the transformation of an art form.

This respect and appreciation is reflected in the artist’s daily life, whether diving off the Kona Coast, paragliding over the Sawtooth Mountains, or working long hours in a glass hot shop in the woods. With humble beginnings as a truck driver at the renowned Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington, Morris entered the phenomenal world of studio glass art almost 30 years ago.

With immense talent, a remarkable crew, and a compelling sense of the material, Morris became one of the world’s foremost glass sculptors in a relatively short period of time. He would continue be the driving force behind the most compelling and engaging fine art glass until the surprising announcement of his retirement in early 2007.

Under the tutelage of glass luminary and Pilchuck co-founder, Dale Chihuly, Morris began a journey that would utterly transform the American studio glass movement. Witness to this remarkable evolution is Andria Friesen, owner of the Friesen galleries in Ketchum and Seattle. Over her 17 years with Morris, Friesen continues to find herself in awe of her role in bringing the highest caliber of fine art glass to the Wood River Valley. With an extensive list of museums and public collections worldwide, there is a Morris somewhere for everyone to marvel at and contemplate. Seattle, being the home of glass art in the Western Hemisphere, offers numerous opportunities to experience Morris’ work, including the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and The Pilchuck Glass Collection at City Centre and US Bank Center, to name a few. To experience a Morris up close and personal by simply walking down First Avenue in Ketchum is quite a privilege.

Friesen explains the deep gratitude she has for Morris and his artwork. “For me, it is a two-fold privilege. First, there is the honor of representing this extraordinary career. Second is the opportunity to share this experience with the collector. Discerning art collectors are remarkable people and can be truly empathetic with the work on a profound and meaningful level.” With an exceptional collection of paintings, tribal artifacts, sculpture, and glass, one collector and part-time Valley resident relates how Morris’ work has greater significance and meaning. “Everything is so clearly from the Earth,” she states. “His work really speaks to me. This is the thing that always got me.” With this genuine power to transcend the visual, Morris’ work conveys a deeper reality that everyone can empathize with, if they choose to.

The desire to understand and identify with Morris’ works has fostered a great deal of general speculation as well as scholarly discussion over the years. For some viewers, there is an immediate desire to identify with and name the representational imagery. We can reference a particular culture or period of history and recognize things we know to have existed before. Representation or replication, however, is clearly not Morris’ intention. While fascinated and moved by other civilizations and their relationship with nature, the work is definitely not about imitation. Utilizing the familiar shapes of ancient vessels, tools and artifacts, Morris uses his imagination to compose and create the work of art.