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The Morris Museum is pleased to collaborate with Pavel Zoubok Gallery, New York to present this New York artist who has contributed greatly to the history of collage and assemblage in the twentieth century – the late MAY WILSON (1905-1986).
May Wilson, an early participant in the "Mail Art" movement of the late 1950s and 1960s, began her art career at the age of 42, taking a daring leap from the life of a housewife in suburban Baltimore to that of an artist in New York City in 1966. She quickly became part of an ever-expanding constellation of avant-garde artists who came to regard her as "The Grandma Moses of the Underground." Using found objects, photography and borrowing liberally from the history of art, Wilson created unforgettable collages and assemblages that pushed the boundaries of accepted taste.
Humor was one of her sharpest tools, evident in the Ridiculous Portraits for which she is perhaps best known. In these works, she inserts self-portraits from Times Square photo booths into well known images from both fine art and popular sources. Her deceptively simple “interventions” boldly explored the social, political and cultural status of women, preceding the representational strategies of artists like Cindy Sherman by over a decade.
Ridiculous Portrait: The Art of May Wilson examines Wilson's bold, unsettling and liberating work, from her regional paintings of the early 1950s to her signature wrapped dolls, erotic “snowflake collages” and wildly inventive assemblages of the 1960s – 1980s. Using the most humble of means, she gave elegance and arrogance to society’s discarded rubbish. Many of these works may shock you, others will certainly make you laugh, but all will show you how to consider life and its seemingly worthless details in a grander light.
February 24, 2008
1-4 p.m.
FREE
Join us for a reception celebrating the opening of four new exhibitions!
March 13, 2008
7 p.m.
FREE
In conjunction with Avenue B School of Art: The Collages of John Evans and Ridiculous Portrait: The Art of May Wilson, join Robert M. Murdock and Bill Wilson for an evening of engaging conversation about the lives and work of artists John Evans and the late May Wilson. Meet Pavel Zoubok of Zoubok Gallery, New York, the foremost venue for collage works in the United States. Pre-registration is recommended, as space is limited. Call 973.971.3720 to register.
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