RAM Talks Art: Work by RAM artist-in-residence on display in Art Annex

By Stacey Sauer, Education Coordinator, Rockford Art Museum

Since its debut last March, the Rockford Art Museum (RAM) Art Annex has opened its doors to the local art community and created yet another outlet for emerging and established artists.

The first show held in the RAM Art Annex, A View from Rockford, featured seven local photographers. Faces of West Africa highlighted the talents of regional photographer Abbie Reese and was followed by the most recent exhibition, Studio Artists Show, featuring the work of longtime Rockford studio art instructor Christy Andres and her students. Artwork by emerging local artist Keelan McMorrow rounds out the exhibition schedule through the month of January.

Keelan has always wanted to be an artist. From the time he was very small, he was already showing signs of being passionate about his artwork. By exploring art, he was able to create and live in his own world, and share that world with others. His passion for art and all that it entails has not faded. This self-taught artist finds inspiration in the works of Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and other artists from the Vienna Secessionists, as well as Art Noveau, all of which are reflected in his incredible pieces.

Keelan's art often explores old archetypes, mythology and human emotions (love and hate, life and death, etc.). But he is not content to paint just another pretty picture. “If a picture is worth a thousand words,” he said, “I hope to do something more within the paintings I produce by conjuring a spirit of emotive strength that finds sympathetic rapport with a viewer.”

Through the use of color and texture, light and shadow, line and form, McMorrow takes common, everyday images and allows the viewer to look at them as if seeing them for the first time. He would like adults to re-experience the awe children feel when they discover something new—to take the time to stop, look and rethink what people see.

“What I paint is usually nothing new to any audience,” he said. “People, faces and the symbolic devices I represent have been seen before. … It intrigues me, then, that no two paintings are ever exactly alike. … If, then, a painting I have produced might give cause to an individual to stop, and reflect, or remember who we are and therefore who he or she is, then I have, for my part, succeeded.”

While McMorrow's main focus is on his own personal work, he acknowledges he has to pay his bills. Therefore, he also works as a commissioned portrait painter. He also has done work for businesses and various groups, and designed album covers for his own bands and those of his friends.

McMorrow has also received awards for his art, largely for his paintings, but also for his clay sculpture. He continues to improve his technique, and wishes he could paint faster to keep up with all the ideas in his head. McMorrow is also the current artist-in-residence at Rockford Art Museum, where he can be found helping children explore their creativity through hands-on activities that supplement guided gallery tours.

Some in the region may already be familiar with Keelan's work. He has participated in both the Spring 2007 and Fall 2007 Art Scenes, coordinated by Rockford Area Arts Council (http://www.artsforeveryone.com), and was also a featured artist at Kortman Gallery at J.R. Kortman Center for Design (http://www.jrkortman.com) in April.

See the artwork of Keelan McMorrow: An Overview through Jan. 27, 2008, at the Rockford Art Museum Art Annex, 711 N. Main St., Rockford. Admission is free. For more about the artist, visit http://www.keelanmcmorrow.com. For more about RAM, visit rockfordartmuseum.org.

Rockford Art Museum Education Coordinator Stacey Sauer can be reached at ssauer@rockfordartmuseum.org.

from the Dec. 19-25, 2007, issue

 

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