Untitled

An early example of George Morrison’s distinctive abstraction, this pen and ink drawing exemplifies his reliance on his dynamic, expressive line coupled with contrasting geometric shapes to create an illusionistic pictorial space. Here, that space is further defined by an underlying pattern of rectilinear structural elements. Similar to his 1949 drawing Untitled (Quarry Face), this drawing is likely based on observations of a sheer cliff face of layered and fractured stone seen in an old quarry. During the period he made both of these drawings, Morrison spent summers teaching in Cape Ann, Massachusetts, an area known for its many abandoned granite quarries.