Maidy Morhous – Q4 Art Competition

Artist Portfolio Magazine – 2017 Q4 Art Competition

Maidy Morhous – Del Mar, CA
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An accomplished printmaker as well as sculptor Maidy Morhous was born in Upstate New York. She currently creates out of her studio thirty minutes north of San Diego along the coast of California. Morhous received her Master of Fine Arts degree while continuing studies at Stanley Hayter’s Atelier 17 in Paris, France in the mid-1970’s. Before returning to the States she traveled to Italy to study casting techniques at the Fonderia Artistica -Marinelli Foundry, in Florence. Morhous became fascinated with how bronze; a cold hard metal could take on such a soft sensuous appearance, and has since worked exclusively with bronze as her form of creative expression.

Maidy Morhous’ sculptures cannot be taken in with one glance. They expose the viewer to and pull him in to react and question what he is viewing; be it to question life and one’s existence, the world’s plight or just to bring a smile. Morhous has spent years examining social critique, political and cultural issues. The resistance to the oppression of socially inscribed narratives and socially dominating practice presented sublimely to the viewer and open to interpretation Her new direction, devoid of the human form, adds a refreshing twist on commentary. Idiomatic titles like “Don’t kill the goose!” and “3 second rule” prompt the viewers to seek metaphorical interpretations so these works. These titles hint at multi-layered meanings. What you see is definitely not what you get; naming sculptures is quite interesting in that it can guide or mislead the viewer in what the work is really about. Constantly bombarded by social media of events happening around the world an artist should not ignore, but allow his artwork to be representative of today’s world, as a statement for viewers to react to and ponder.

Morhous is currently showing in exhibits across the country including a solo exhibition at Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. She has three bronzes that will be placed in the Sendai Memorial commemorating the great earthquake 3-11-11. She is featured in the award winning documentary film “One,” by Heartland Films Inc. Her commissioned sculpture “Humanity” is the subject of the documentary. Maidy’s work can be found in public and private collections in the United States, Japan, Europe, Australia and Canada.