Desmond Morris - Art

Art

In 1948 Desmond Morris made his first one man debut showing of his artwork (paintings) at the Swindon Art Centre in Wiltshire, England. A short two years later n 1950, he emerges into the surrealist art scene at the London Gallery. For the first time at an event held by the Belgian Surrealist Edouard Mesen's. Interesting to note, the event was also held with Joan Miro. The following year of 1951, Desmond travels to Belgium to exhibit his paintings at an international art festival. His next art showing isn’t until 1957 whence he organizes a chimpanzee paintings and drawings exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London (a result of his research study into the drawing abilities of apes). 

In the spring of 1967 upon release of Morris’s first Human behavioral book, he also resigned from his post of Curator held at The London Zoo, and thence becomes executive director of the London Institute of Contemporary Arts for only a year, until '68 with the take of of The Naked Ape. Thus, sending Morris on an over twenty year hiatus from the arts world, while his sociobiology career takes the front seat.

In 1974, shortly after returning from his span painting, studying, and writing in Malta, Southern Europe, Desmond held his first exhibition of his surrealist paintings since before the take off his career in other areas. The showing was held at the Stooshnoff Fine Art Gallery located in back in London. Returning with vengeance, two years later in 1976 Desmond holds 4 more exhibits of paintings, including a exhibit beholding 61 works of his from over 30 years- held at the Public Art Gallery in his once home of Swindon, Wiltshire. 

Desmond’s next accomplishment in the area of arts is in 1987 when he combines his two passions of writing and art, to create and publish his first book about his surrealist paintings called The Secret Surrealist, introduction done by Phillip Oakes. His first showing of paintings after the books release was held the following year in New York at the Shippee Gallery in New York. Desmond continues his showings to this day, with his works being documented and recognized officially by his biographer Silvano Levy in ‘Desmond Morris: 50 Years of Surrealism in 1997. Morris has since then traveled showing his art exhibits around the world, from his home in England branching throughout Europe. Including in 2005 a solo exhibit of paintings by apes from his earlier studies in the 50’s, the exhibit was called “Ape Artists of the 1950’s” and was held at the Mayor Gallery in London, England.