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Artist statement

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Robert Morrissey: Soul Shifting

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‘Soul Shifting’ is a project comprised of 3 series of lens-based images. The images included in the show are excerpts from the 3 series: ‘The Dance of Death’, ‘Snake Pit’, and ‘Purgation’.  Together they explore transitional stages between death and eternity.

In ‘The Dance of Death’, a skeleton dances alone or invites partners for a final pas de deux.

In ‘Snake Pit’, serpents surround and coil the souls, drawing them into the abyss.

In ‘Purgation’, a solitary soul is depicted in the throes of purgation, wading through past sins and transgressions. The soul is experiencing a final state of reckoning.

The project’s look and method of delivery owe a debt of influence to the work of Ray Harryhausen's early stop-motion animation, the photography of Man Ray, as well as the technique of reverse glass painting.

I drew from my collection of dolls and toys as well as a variety of reflective and textured surfaces to stage the images. They were all shot using natural light. In post-production, I reverse the image, as well as manipulate the color and tonal values.  

‘Soul Shifting’ is an attempt to reconcile my lifelong preoccupation with death as well as the fears and desires of the unconscious mind that inform it.

  

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Biography

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Robert Morrissey is a painter and photographer. He was born in Worcester Massachusetts USA and currently lives and works in Portland Oregon. He received an MA in Art Therapy from New York University and studied at The Art Students League in NYC. He worked in the Behavioral Health Field for 25 years in NYC, LA, and Portland. He is currently on the faculty of the Addictions Counseling Program at Portland Community College.

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https://www.robert-morrissey.com/