Ancient Beliefs Inspire Symbolic Paintings (Press, 20 September 1989)

Christchurch artist Julia Morison is showcasing her work through multiple exhibitions in September 1989. She has featured as one of the Canterbury Belles at the McDougall Art Annex, and is currently exhibiting a series of drawings titled Anatomy I-X at the Jonathan Jensen Gallery. These drawings serve as preparatory works for her piece Somniloquist, which will be part of the Sex and Sign exhibition opening at the Art Annex on September 21. From September 27 to October 8, Morison will also present her work Decan at the C.S.A. Gallery, which she completed during her Frances Hodgkin's Fellowship in 1988. Morison's art reflects her fascination with belief systems, particularly focusing on ancient Greek Hermetic writings and Jewish Kabbalah. She describes the Hermetic writings as encompassing a variety of teachings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, an Egyptian god. According to her, these writings hark back to a time when the ideas prevalent in Western Christian society had not yet taken root. She contrasts the Hermetic concept of a bisexual God with the traditional view of a singular divine figure, highlighting that Hermetic literature encourages readers to explore diverse perspectives rather than adhere to a single scripture. In Anatomy I-X, Morison explores the relationship between ten significant alchemical materials—such as gold, silver, blood, and lead—and the human body, drawing links through the Kabbalist concept of sefiroth, which represent channels connecting humanity, the world, and the cosmos. For instance, her artwork titled Lead features a square of lead alongside intricate pen-and-ink drawings that correlate the material to anatomical themes. Similarly, Reflection is represented in a spiral configuration. The Sex and Sign exhibition, curated by Wystan Curnow from Auckland University, will include works from Morison along with four other artists who engage with themes of gender and sexuality during a time described as decadence. This exhibition runs until October 19. Decan is composed of ten diptychs that open like a book, featuring panels of varying symbolic proportions and sizes, each accompanied by distinctive logos and materials. The term Decan refers to a talisman or symbolic image. Morison states that her narrative images derive from a mix of sources including encyclopaedias, comics, and television, combined with logos and materials to evoke a time when science and myth coexisted harmoniously. Julia Morison, born in 1952 in Pahiatua, New Zealand, graduated from Wellington Polytechnic with a Diploma of Graphic Arts followed by a Diploma of Fine Arts from Canterbury University in the 1970s. She has a rich exhibition history in New Zealand and participated in the Joan Miro Exhibition in Barcelona and Okinawa in 1984. Additionally, she has contributed to theatre design for various universities and theatre companies.

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