Richie Morales
to
Arts + Literature Laboratory 111 S. Livingston St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
courtesy Arts + Literature Laboratory
A work by Richie Morales in the "The Effects of Time on Memory (Los efectos del tiempo sobre la memoria)" exhibit.
media release: Tonight is the last opportunity to view Richie Morales's exhibition The Effects of Time on Memory (Los efectos del tiempo sobre la memoria). A closing reception is being held from 7-9pm (Friday, July 9). ALL is continuing to require masks and social distancing throughout our building, and we will not be serving refreshments.
This immersive exhibition will fill the entire building with a new body of work by the artist consisting of 40 new paintings.
Morales’ paintings are inspired by a multitude of sources from the natural world. Morales takes the idea of the “origin of colors” as his inspiration for creating his vibrant, layered compositions. Morales’ aim with this series is to overcome anthropocentrism, to bring us closer to the ontological world of color and of his own aesthetics, exploring pain to heal ourselves. Morales uses the concepts of oral memory, stewarded memory, and the memory of life in death to shape his works. Animal forms and auras perpetuate his lush canvases, bringing the viewer closer to understanding the effects of time on memory.
Born in Guatemala, Morales is a self-taught artist whose multifaceted works examine the impact of social, environmental, and economic violence across the world, and the role of art in social justice. He has been an artist fellow at Vermont Studio Center, an artist in residence for Centro Hispano of Dane County, and has exhibited paintings at galleries and community-based organizations in Guatemala and the United States. Morales currently occupies an artist studio at Arts + Literature Laboratory.
As part of the exhibition, Morales and Latinx artists Natalia Hildner, Claudia Vaca and geryscopio will be hosting a series of free live performances at ALL on the weekend of June 4-6, 2021. These performances will bring together the visual arts, choreography, and poetry, inspired by the stories of local community members. This project is a multidisciplinary, multilingual showcase of Latinx voices at a time when our community is still suffering from multiple crises and recognizing the need to amplify voices that have been historically marginalized. The effects of the pandemic have been multiplied for Black and Indigenous communities and people of color. Many Latinx community members have faced increased risk and trauma as essential and frontline workers. Through art, the artists seek to initiate their own and their community’s healing of historical and current traumas through the power of their Latinx and Indigenous collective wisdom.
The performances will take place: June 4-5 at 7pm and June 6 at 4pm. Registration is required: https://docs.google.com/forms/
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this presentation of artwork in ALL’s new galleries will be available to view during limited hours from 12-5pm Thursday through Saturday or by appointment. Visitors inside the building will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing, and the number of visitors will be limited according to current public health guidelines. Exhibition admission is free. Please visit ALL’s website (artlitlab.org) or Facebook page (facebook.com/artlitlab) to learn about other upcoming programs and events.