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Iced Tea, Merrill Morrison |
| CRITIQUE OF THE WEEK #3 Merrill Morrison (Beverly Hills, California) Iced Tea waxed linen and glass beads 6
3/4"H x 9 3/4"W x 6"D Merrill Morrison has arranged knots and beads in a lively series of rhythms in Iced Tea —a delightful sculptural form that is both stately and whimsical. Featuring a lush range of texture, a unifying circular motif, and a spare black and white palette, the work is as formally satisfying as it is emotively engaging.
As you look at the overall piece, begin by studying the surface decoration on the body of the teapot that has a modified egg shape. Long white cylindrical beads are arranged vertically in even but varied rows, creating a rhythm of animated horizontal bars moving from top to bottom. But the dark waxed linen knots holding the beads in place are the dominant rhythmic force in the piece. These “beats” create jazzy counter-rhythms that zig-zag in linear fashion from left to right, dancing around the form.
Textural rhythms are found in other areas such as the regular, even movement of white lines on the spout, the more densely spaced cross-contour lines on the handle, the cross-contour lines arranged vertically around the lid, and the single bead-dots that circle the lid. Take a look at the details of the lid when viewed from above and see how the same rhythms function beautifully from that perspective.
Return to the unifying, solidifying influence resulting from Morrison's repetition of a circular/rounded motif throughout the design. In three-dimensional terms, Morrison repeats rounded forms—the half-egg-shaped body (cropped with its broadest area acting as a strong base), the looping cylinder of the handle, the modified cone of the spout, the compressed egg form at the bottom of the lid, and the large egg-shaped bead at the apex. Even the gentle curve of the spout is a fragment of an implied, large circular movement in space. Virtually all of the forms in the design are members of the same family, serving to hold the design together in an extremely satisfying way.
Finally, Morrison's color choices play an important role in the effectiveness of the design as well. As you study the composition, consider for a moment how differently the piece might have felt had the artist used colored beads, such as primary or pastels. Each of those variations would have changed the whole tenor of the design. Morrison's exclusive use of black and white elements eliminates contrast of hue and allows the focus to be on the other visual elements that remain: line, mark, form, and texture. Steven Aimone author of DESIGN! A Lively Guide to Design Basics for Artists and Craftspeoplel CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THIS EXCITING BOOK! (The Critique of the Week is edited by Katherine Duncan AImone)
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The artist talks about her work and technique: I have always loved beads and fibers. As a young girl, I would sift through my grandmother's boxes of beads and trinkets, spending hours playing and creating. My mother then taught me embroidery and knitting, and I lost myself in the process of creating with my hands. My interest in fiber continued with weaving, papermaking and, ultimately, knotting. There is nothing like the tactile feel of the waxed linen, as well as the rhythm of making knot after knot, until my shape takes form. I incorporated beading to add luster and texture, which allows me a multitude of possibilities in surface embellishment as well as the ability to incorporate additional dimensions of layering…. On the most personal level, knotting gives me a chance to immerse myself in a very peaceful, private meditative process.
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Merrill Morrison is represented by the prestigious del Mano Gallery in W. Los Angeles , California. To see more of her work, visit their website at:
Merrill Morrison can be reached at
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