The artwork: Calvin Morton bills himself as an environmental artist. Growing up on the lakes of East Tennessee, he was surrounded by the Smoky Mountains. He was inspired by the natural beauty of the area, but as he grew older, he noted increasingly the smoke stacks in and around the Oak Ridge area and wondered what happened to the smoke. His first extensive body of work is based on his painterly exploration of that observation. His work makes quick connections between the past, present and future of the environment in Tennessee and how we are connected with larger global issues. Simply put, landscapes are not what they used to be; nor is the way painters approach landscape painting the same. His observations and techniques are 21st century. Claiming that lectures and protests about the environment can easily be tuned out, his hope is that a gallery setting makes our understanding of the environment a more personal, immediate, and visual experience.
The artist: Morton was invited to participate in the Governor’s School of the Arts of Tennessee in 2001. That’s when his interest in art became intense. In 2007, he graduated with an M.F.A. in Studio Art from MTSU in Murfreesboro. This exhibit at The Arts Company is his first commercial gallery showcase. He and his art are works in progress. This is truly fresh art of our time and place.
