Artist Rebecca Morgan, born in 1984, hails from a small, rural town nestled in the Appalachian region of Pennsylvania. When she was a girl, Morgan and her grandfather would collaborate on artistic projects. Despite his talents as a draftsman and outsider artist, her grandfather’s profession was selling appliances at Sears. Morgan's childhood inspirations included brutal comic artists such as Al Jaffee and Harvey Kurtzman, who were part of Mad magazine. Her grandmother suggested Morgan draw inspiration from her Hummel figurines and various other kitsch porcelain collectibles, instead of encouraging Morgan’s initial focus on drawing her breasts and anus. This occasion would represent a crucial turning point where established traditions would fuse with Morgan’s unconventional approach.
Blending of Kitsch
The blending of kitsch, self-portraiture, and a fascination with the grotesque would forge the conceptual bedrock of her future artistic themes. After completing her BA at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Morgan gained experience as a studio assistant at Arrowmount Arts and Crafts before obtaining her MFA from Pratt Institute. The practical experience she gained from her position as a studio assistant significantly enhanced the quality of her art and established the direction for her later artistic endeavors in other mediums.
Fig 1. © Rebecca Morgan, "Fancy Zoom"
Fig 2. © Rebecca Morgan, “Boring Cunnilingus” 22 x 38 inches, oil on panel
Fig 3. © Rebecca Morgan, "Mountain Man Painter", 88" x 73", from "In the Pines"
Fig 4. © Rebecca Morgan, "Prize Preserves" from her Pratt MFA show in 2009
Her Teeth
The transition from rural Pennsylvania to New York wasn’t easy for Morgan. She mentions facing uncomfortable challenges in online interviews. Many of Morgan's concerns arise regarding her teeth, physical appearance, and how she feels about herself. However, drawing strength from these insecure emotional phases motivated her to develop her own unique style of American folk art. This insight led her to explore her concepts not just intellectually but also through the tangible mediums of ceramics and bronze casting.
Fig 5. © Rebecca Morgan, sculpture “Good Wisconsin Girl ”
Fig 6. © Rebecca Morgan, “Panty Stealers (After Diana and Actaeon)” 2019
Bestial Sexual Appetites
Morgan’s upbringing in her environment provides a deep well of inspiration for her creative work. She takes an interest in both the critical analysis of rural life while celebrating its commonplace realities. The context here involves the use of comic characters to represent bestial sexual appetites. While the urban landscape cherishes beauty primarily for its commercial appeal (like fashion). The system in Morgan’s folk context is mostly tribal and nature-driven, differing from a hierarchy built for urban purposes. Her art also has the effect of transporting viewers to a reality free from societal beauty standards. It strikes one as crude, with an absence of grace or polite sensibilities. Much like Mad Magazine’s satirical jabs and Robert Crumb’s raw, sexual urges, Morgan doesn’t hide the unpleasant but brings it to light, as her figures are often driven by a relentless hunger for carnal delights and laughter.
Fig 7. © Rebecca Morgan,, "Dirty Feet Odalisque"
Rebecca Morgan is active on Instagram
In Premium more about Morgan's sardonic and burlesque aesthetics, the influences of other artists on her development, and MUCH more...!!
Click HERE for the author's publication about Lisa Yuskavage and the 21st Century Zaftig
Let us know your thoughts about Morgan's artwork in the comment box below....!!
