Painting Playboy: Burton Morris
November 9 – December 8, 2017
Burton Morris was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1964. He earned his bachelor of fine arts degree at Carnegie Mellon University in 1986. After graduation, Burton started a career as an art director in advertising. He established the Burton Morris Studios in 1990. That year he began making his small post-pop icons into large-scale paintings. He would choose one subject per composition to create what he calls “an instant happening”for the viewer. He used his background in advertising to blur the lines between high and low art.
In 1992, Absolut Vodka selected his artwork to represent Pennsylvania for its prestigious Absolut Statehood campaign. During that same year, his paintings began to hang on the hit NBC television sitcom “Friends”, which continued to showcase his artwork for over ten seasons. Morris’ work burst onto the American stage and was given international exposure in 2004, when he produced the signature image for the 76th Annual Academy Awards. The artwork enlivened the facade of the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, CA and was seen by over one billion viewers.
Over the last two decades, he has created signature images for The United States Olympic Team, Playboy Enterprises, The 38th Montreux Jazz Festival, The Andre Agassi Foundation, FIFA World Cup Soccer, The 2006 MLB All-Star Game, the 2012 One Young World Conference, and the 2016 US Open Golf Tournament. Original artworks have been commissioned for corporations and Institutions such as H.J. Heinz, Chanel, Rolex, Perrier, AT&T, Kellogg’s and the U.S. State Department. In addition, Burton’s artwork has helped to raise millions of dollars for charities worldwide.