Page 37 - Studio International - January 1965

New York Commentary

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favoured by Magritte. such as that of framing scenes In his first one-man show at the Kornblee Gallery,
so that there is a picture-within-a picture, or of writing Malcolm Morley exhibits several large oils that strangely
a legend that provides a conundrum for the mind while and effectively project an intimate vision (rows of
it is busy engaging itself with the painted image. minute forms. as in an abacus by Paul Klee) in a monu­
Quite aside from the freshness of Hockney's painting mental scale. Morley's horizontal bands, stressed like a
technique, I was impressed by his painting culture. He music score, establish pronounced rhythms that range
can use the photographic, hard representational manner in association from landscape to electronic graphs. A
when it suits him, and he can use a painterly style tapestry-like quality in the largest works gives Morley's
alluding to another tradition (one figure was straight paintings a certain ornamental intonation, indicating
Derain) when he chooses. His witty observations of that he has yet to find his precise road, but his general
America-ironically indulgent-are suave and telling. direction is of considerable interest. ■
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