A work by Steve Morrissey is immediately eye-catching. His choice of exotic colors
dance together on each canvas to create a whimsically striking picture that illuminates a life of its own. Although Morrissey would not have predicted his devotion to art, it turned out to be exactly what he was meant to do. “If you told me five years ago that I would be into art, I would probably laugh, but now coming up on four years, and I’ve been nonstop ever since. It's like I have finally found my thing,” he says. Throughout his career, Steve has truly made his mark. Within each painting holds the spirit of his soul, the organic nature of his technique, and his poetic essence.
Steve Morrissey’s works hold a lot more sentiment than what can be seen on the surface.
Grounding part of his identity in his children, their influence is constantly a part of his creative process. “They come out there and they’ll make some of the first marks on the canvases after I stretch them. A lot of people don’t know that about my pieces—is that there's a lot of history behind my work.” Steve’s pieces all consider symbolic value which is alluded through his process, and while his unconventional painting ritual and style varies in direction, it initiates a beautiful start to each picture’s life. “I like angry paint. I like seeing the cracks. I do not want a perfect painting. Even when I stretch my canvases, I build my own frames and there will be bends to them. I like that—I feel like a lot of things nowadays are forced or faked beauty, and so I like seeing the mistakes. I like pulling the curtain back.”
The realness in each piece is a trademark for Steve. By allowing for his composition and
colors to breath seamlessly and a little gritty, Morrissey embraces rule breaking believing it invites a deeper and more exciting story. “They say the viewers bring the content, and I want that. I don’t want to have any ownership in what people see,” he says. “As painters it's our responsibility to capture time. When you look at a painting, you are looking at something in the past. I think that’s really powerful to make people stop and just appreciate something with their eyes.”
When pondering on one word that could represent Morrissey’s art, I believe it is “breath”.
Each piece holds the liveliness and soul of those who have impacted and executed the vision. His paintings carry the heart of Steve Morrissey, the wonder of his children, and the resilience against societal norms. They represent footprints in time along the journey of his life, and as he grounds his identity into his art, he allows each piece to overtake a form of tradition, of personality, and of history. If you are interested in learning more about Steve and his work, contact High Frequency Arts or stop by our space in the Hub & Spoke Design Center.
About the Author
Saydanee Jordan is a high school student at Fishers High School and intern at High Frequency Arts, eager to dive into the world of art. Throughout her years in grade school, she has been driven towards discovering her purpose, and working in a creative field is crucial for her. Saydanee plans to study psychology and art therapy in college, and later down the road, pursue a career connecting her craft with therapy.
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