NYAB Event - Kristen Morgin “Things I Learned From Comic Books and Bumper Stickers”

Kristen Morgin “Things I Learned From Comic Books and Bumper Stickers”

The Jane Hartsook Gallery

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The Jane Hartsook Gallery presents the solo exhibition of California-based artist, Kristen Morgin. An artist with a diverse studio practice, Morgin makes work referencing death and decay via enormous unfired clay sculptures and equally as elegant small scale trompe l’oeil ceramic sculptures referencing everyday objects and pop iconography. The work on display here represents her sculptures from her very own collection, work that she has held onto, which lends itseslf to insight into the artist’s relationship to her work.

“I started out that way but recently I began to create pieces from things I already know I like and live with, tributary objects that look like their model. The first piece I did like this was a Monopoly game I had at home. I wanted to take this mass produced item and make it one of a kind. When I was creating it I was thinking about my own history with the game. It occurred to me that the goal was to annihilate your component and take all their assets… Relationships started to happen when I was making work for the table. Sometimes the objects next to their models are like a longtime married couple that need each other and bring out the best in one another. At other times there is a confrontation and one piece overtakes the other. I liked these conversations and it brought a new dialogue to the work.”—Kristen Morgin

Kristen L. Morgin was born in 1968 in Brunswick, GA. Kristen is the eldest daughter of Lowell and Lucille Morgin. She has three younger sisters. Kristen earned a BA degree from California State University, Hayward. Kristen earned a MFA degree with an emphasis in ceramics from Alfred University in 1997. Kristen currently resides in Gardena, CA. Kristen has held job positions as a gallery docent, a children’s playhouse set painter, a secretary in an auto glass shop, and a professor of art. She currently earns her living as an artist.