Art Space Talk: Morgan Riccilli Slade (Part 3)

Crows and Flowers by Morgan Riccilli Slade

This is Part 3 of my interview with Morgan Riccilli Slade. To return to Part 2 click, HERE

BS: Morgan, what are your thoughts concerning the internet and utilizing the World Wide Web in order to gain exposure for your art? In your opinion, why is it important for artists to embrace the internet?

MS: I think embracing technology as a tool is inevitable and necessary, and self promotion is and always has been a very important aspect to any artist. It is important to move the arts and artists out of a system were it was all too contained.

BS: Do you have any concerns about the art world at this time?

MS: I have serious concerns about the world in general, but the art world will soldier on. Artists can be very resourceful people.
Big Chicken by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: There has been several stories involving copyright infringement in the mainstream press as of late. What is your stance on copyright? Do you see strong copyright as a reflection of artist rights in general? Or do you feel that copyright restricts creativity? Do you have a stance on this issue?

MS: I am not sure why a copyright would restrict creativity. I don’t entirely subscribe to the Creative Commons argument. I think an artist should reserve the right to give up the right, if that makes sense.

Red Apple by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: As you know, the economy has been hard. Have you had to change-- or should I say adapt-- your practice due to the economy?

MS: Adapting to your environment is key to any kind of survival. It is important to not become too comfortable. Changing studios, can be pretty traumatic in itself. I would never discount financial concerns when discussing the artistic practice, but recessions have a way of turning into very productive periods when you are not chasing money.

BS: Finally, do you have a personal website that you would like to share with our readers?

MS: Yes I do. Please visit, www.morgansladestudio.com

This is the conclusion of my interview with Morgan Riccilli Slade. To return to Part 1 of the interview click, HERE

You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews. Feel free to discuss the interview and the art of Morgan Riccilli Slade on the myartspace.com Forum-- www.myartspace.com/forum

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
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Art Space Talk: Morgan Riccilli Slade (Part 2)

Blown by Morgan Riccilli Slade

This is Part 2 of my interview with Morgan Riccilli Slade. To return to Part 1 click, HERE

BS: What about other influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists?

MS: The energy and freedom that was present in the American art of the 60’s and 70’s would be an undeniable influence, but it would be hard for me to pin down any defining piece or artist. Music plays a big role. Refine : refract 7 Crystal Skull, for example, takes the song by the metal band Mastodon and reduces it to a series of tones and then builds it back into an ambient soundscape. I also like Picasso, Krautrock and the Baroque period.

BS: So what is the specific message you strive to convey to viewers? Is there one? Do you adhere to a specific philosophy as far as your work is concerned?

MS: I don’t think that I have a specific message. What I am more interested is presenting a different way of looking at a something that already has an established dialog. It is however, important for final result, no matter how conceptual, to work on an aesthetic level. I like beauty. Butterflies by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: What are you working on at this time?

MS: Currently, I am prepping a showing of refine : refract 1. The central video component has been finished for a year and now I am adding some serigraphs and dry pigment prints. The video is a a series of 500 illustrations that play in sequence beginning with a black frame, building up to a complete image, and slowly disintegrating to a black image again.

The soundtrack is an abstracted version of 'Claire de Lune' by Debussy. The prints add to theme by referencing a Bergamask and A Summer Night’s Dream.

Refract 7 Crystal Skull by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: I assume you are exhibiting at this time?

MS: I currently have work in two venues in the Bay Area and am hoping to launch a salon style artist space near the end of the summer with refine : refract 1.



To read Part 3 of my interview with Morgan Riccilli Slade click, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog

Art Space Talk: Morgan Riccilli Slade (Part 1)

The work of Morgan Riccilli Slade is at once mysterious and seductive. His large paintings engage viewers with rich visual storytelling. Bold, bright colors layered and woven around seeming disparate images pop off the canvas. Nostalgic silhouettes referencing childhood lend a sweet tone to otherwise satirical social messages. At first benign, they innocently urge you closer until the narrative surfaces.

Slade's works on paper and video balance a keen sense of history and photographic nostalgia while capturing a modern elegance and bold graphic style.

Morgan Riccilli Slade studied Fine Art, Photography and Photographic Theory at the University of California at Santa Cruz. After graduating in 1991 he has exhibited work in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Jose, and continues to work in multiple mediums in art and design.

Morgan Riccilli Slade was one of 50 finalists of the myartspace.com Bridge Art Fair Miami competition. Slade was chosen by the myartspace.com panel of jurors-- which included, Elisabeth Sussman, Senior Curator, the Whitney Museum; Janet Bishop, Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA); JoAnne Northrup, Senior Curator, San Jose Museum of Art; and Michael Workman, Founder of Bridge Art Fair. His work was represented digitally by www.myartspace.com at Bridge Wynwood in 2008.

Refine : Refract 1 by Morgan Riccilli Slade

Brian Sherwin: Morgan, what can you tell us about your academic background concerning art?

Morgan Slade: I grew up in Los Angeles and got a degree in Studio Art at the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1991 after doing some studying at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. The University was a great place to study at the time because the art department was totally at odds with itself.

What was always an academic and traditional program, albeit a strong one, under the direction of Victor Burgin, it was being questioned. All of the sudden we were studying Roland Bartes, Umberto Eco, semiotics, and photography theories. It was all very exciting, and allowed for us extend dialog regarding our work, but did cause tension with professors teaching from a more formal and aesthetic perspective.

BS: At what point did you gain an interest in creating visual art? Did you have early influences?

MS: My grandmother is an avid painter and my parents were involved with the film industry growing up so I think there was a natural progression more importantly, support. The main struggle I had was trying to settle on a medium, which never happened so I work with several.

Refine : Refract 2 D100 by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: Morgan, can you tell us about your art? Give us some insight into the thoughts behind your work? Perhaps you can tell us about your refine : refract series?

MS: I think that the best place to start would be the refine : refract series. These works are about the deconstruction and modification of a sign, and re-construction with a very purposeful re-presentation of image and concept. Memorial and nostalgia are also ongoing themes.

One of the main things I got from studying under Victor Burgin, and we did not talk about art as craft very much, was to draw on varied references to come to a singular, distilled conclusion. Refine : refract begins conceptually and builds to a tangible product.

The mediums vary and in some cases utilize more than one. I feel that it is important to remember however, that we are dealing with a visual and sometimes aural medium that engages a viewer and needs to be ‘read’, so aesthetic values do play a role in the finished product.

I also enjoy working in a much more non objective and more singular manner were the image comes first and the final piece is more about graphic quality and immediate impact. Float by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: Can you discuss your process in general? Are there any specific techniques that you utilize?

MS: While refine : refract is open to employing elements of video, photography, audio and the kitchen sink, and the work is created over a longer period, a piece like Float which is made with dry pigment in enamel is designed to be a more physical process.

Most of the design is prep work and the final piece is made quickly, like a negative being burned into photo paper. The result is an image that appears to be simultaneously coming together as is falling apart only to hold on for a moment.

It is important for me to work in a physical manner also, because sitting in front of a computer making still images into a moving film can be tedious. I tend to work on several things at one time so I am constantly switching back and forth.


To read Part 2 of my interview with Morgan Riccilli Slade click, HERE

Take care, Stay true,

Brian Sherwin
Senior Editor
myartspace.com
www.myartspace.com
Myartspace Blog on Twitter
www.twitter.com/myartspace_blog