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George Morl: Precious Boys
Southend Museums, Southend-on-Sea, UK
14 July - 08 September 2018
14 July - 08 September 2018
Solo show at Southend Museum featuring new work by George Morl in conversation with Southend Museums Fine Art Collection, exploring historical representation of men and role of masculinity in South Essex
Information
Southend Museum, Southend, UK
14 July - 08 September 2018
Free Admission
www.southendmuseums.co.uk
In ‘Precious Boys’, George Morl explores the cultural impact of men’s body image in South Essex, focusing on how the recession and post-industry has contributed to an increased ornamentation of masculinity. The exhibition examines the growing relationship between performance, sexuality, and body image, and how these forces shape contemporary ideals of both heterosexual and queer masculine body ideals.
Presented alongside works from the Southend Museum Fine Art Collection, the show investigates how men have been represented in the historical art canon and how these representations reflect evolving social expectations. In particular, it considers how World War One transformed ideas of male companionship and communication. During wartime, soldiers sought connection through pen-pal advertisements and “blind proposals,” anticipating later developments in mediated forms of relationship-seeking. Today, these dynamics have evolved into online dating platforms and reality television shows such as TOWIE and Love Island, which reinforce the post-industrial emphasis on appearance and the ideal of the muscular, Essex man.
The exhibition spans 400 years of art from the rarely seen Beecroft Fine Art Collection, including works by William Etty, Bartolomeo Esteban Murillo, the Le Nain brothers, Nicola Grassi, and Sir Joshua Reynolds. These historical works are displayed alongside Morl’s portraits of young men he has observed in online spaces such as chatrooms, dating sites, social media. These reveal hidden stories of eating disorders, steroid use, and body anxiety. Digital maps and Google trend screenshots relating to steroid use accompany the portraits, highlighting the cultural pressures that shape masculine identity today.
Morl’s paintings are produced using whey protein powder and reference the brutalist architecture of Basildon. Reflecting on the artist’s early engagements with medical and therapeutic environments, the contorted and fragmented bodies rest against ceramic tiles and highly decorated and crafted surfaces.
A specially curated shrine pairs a copper painting of beggar boys and an allegory of love by Joshua Reynolds with a copper-filament painting by Morl. This juxtaposition contrasts heterosexual ideals with hidden queer narratives, and memorialises a young man reflecting on the ‘Grindr killings’ in 2014, highlighting the risks and violence faced by queer men in pursuit of affection.
Ultimately, the exhibition is an investigative process that disrupts traditional power dynamics in museum representations of male bodies. From nude cherubs to academic studies, the show examines how historical concepts of masculinity have evolved—and how they continue to be exploited by consumer culture today.
Presented alongside works from the Southend Museum Fine Art Collection, the show investigates how men have been represented in the historical art canon and how these representations reflect evolving social expectations. In particular, it considers how World War One transformed ideas of male companionship and communication. During wartime, soldiers sought connection through pen-pal advertisements and “blind proposals,” anticipating later developments in mediated forms of relationship-seeking. Today, these dynamics have evolved into online dating platforms and reality television shows such as TOWIE and Love Island, which reinforce the post-industrial emphasis on appearance and the ideal of the muscular, Essex man.
The exhibition spans 400 years of art from the rarely seen Beecroft Fine Art Collection, including works by William Etty, Bartolomeo Esteban Murillo, the Le Nain brothers, Nicola Grassi, and Sir Joshua Reynolds. These historical works are displayed alongside Morl’s portraits of young men he has observed in online spaces such as chatrooms, dating sites, social media. These reveal hidden stories of eating disorders, steroid use, and body anxiety. Digital maps and Google trend screenshots relating to steroid use accompany the portraits, highlighting the cultural pressures that shape masculine identity today.
Morl’s paintings are produced using whey protein powder and reference the brutalist architecture of Basildon. Reflecting on the artist’s early engagements with medical and therapeutic environments, the contorted and fragmented bodies rest against ceramic tiles and highly decorated and crafted surfaces.
A specially curated shrine pairs a copper painting of beggar boys and an allegory of love by Joshua Reynolds with a copper-filament painting by Morl. This juxtaposition contrasts heterosexual ideals with hidden queer narratives, and memorialises a young man reflecting on the ‘Grindr killings’ in 2014, highlighting the risks and violence faced by queer men in pursuit of affection.
Ultimately, the exhibition is an investigative process that disrupts traditional power dynamics in museum representations of male bodies. From nude cherubs to academic studies, the show examines how historical concepts of masculinity have evolved—and how they continue to be exploited by consumer culture today.
Selected Archive Images
Artist Works & Museum works
© George Morl & Southend Museums 2018