Leon Morrocco | Artist Page | Available Work

Overview

“This studio, how to describe it? Well, it’s in this unremarkable North London mews next-door to a joiner’s. Ring the bell at the green front door, or shout up to the window to be let in. Ignore, for now, the ground-floor with its interestingly crammed racks and stacks of archived unfinished or abandoned paintings, blank canvases, panels of wood and thick cardboard, rolls of heavy paper, a few old frames. Just go straight up those steep, slightly rickety ladder-like stairs to the clutter and sprawl of the upper floor and an old-fashioned ideal of an artist’s studio straight out of central casting.”

Liz Lochhead, from her introduction to Leon Morrocco, A Painter’s Journey, 2017.

 Leon Morrocco was born in Edinburgh in 1942. He studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, The Slade and Edinburgh College of Art. In 1968 he won an Italian government scholarship to study at the Accademia di Brera in Milan. He was lecturer in drawing and painting at Edinburgh College of Art from 1965-1968, and then took up a similar post at Glasgow School of Art from 1969-1979. In 1979 he moved to Australia as Head of the Department of Fine Art at the Chisholm Institute in Melbourne. In 1983 Morrocco gave up teaching to concentrate on his own work finding growing success with regular exhibitions at the Australian Galleries. In 1992 he returned to the UK, living in London and embarking on a series of solo shows with the John Martin Gallery that have continued for over twenty five years. In 1998 they published the first monograph on his life and work, Leon Morrocco: Journeys and Observations, with a second book published in 2017 ‘A Painter’s Journey’ with introduction by the poet Liz Lochhead. A major exhibition of his work was held at the Royal Scottish Academy in August 2022 - "Leon Morrocco’s art is concrete... His lucid and powerful drawings are a delight" - The Scotsman

 

His work is held in notable public and private collections, including The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, The Scottish Arts Council, Leeds City Art Gallery, The Nuffield Foundation and Queensland Art Gallery

 

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Selected Works
Exhibitions
Video
Biography

Solo Exhibitions

2023  Painting & Works on Paper, Spirit Studios,Suffolk

2022 Paintings from Alpes - Maritimes, John Martin Gallery, London

2022 Further Shores: Paintings & Drawings since 1967

2022 Long Road Home, Royal Scottish Academy 

2020 Looking Out to Sea, John Martin Gallery & Portland Gallery, London

2019 Unseen India, Jaipur, Jodphur and Kolkata, John Martin Gallery, London
2017 A Painter’s Journey, John Martin Gallery, London
2016 What the River Knew, John Martin Gallery, London
2014 Recollection, Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh
2014 Drawing the River Part 2, John Martin Gallery Chelsea, London
2013 The London River, John Martin Gallery, London
2012 Paintings & Works on paper, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
2011 Paintings from India, Edward Cutler Gallery, Milan
2010 Kolkata, Chennai, Goa, John Martin Gallery, London
2009 From Mumbai to Madurai, John Martin Gallery, London
2009 Strade di Roma, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
2007 Morrocco’s Morocco at Art London, John Martin Gallery, London
2007 The Sketchbooks & Paintings of Leon Morrocco – Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
2006 Havana, John Martin Gallery, London
2005 The Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
2003 Roman Paintings, John Martin of London & John Martin Chelsea
2000 Leon Morrocco, John Martin Gallery, London
1999 Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
1998 Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow
1998 John Martin Gallery, London
1997 Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
1996 John Martin Gallery, London
1995 Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
1994 Loomshop Gallery, Fife
1994 Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow
1993 Portland Gallery, London
1993 Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow
1993 Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh
1992 Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1991 Portland Gallery, London
1989 Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1986 Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1986 Bonython-Meadmore Gallery, Sydney
1984 Australian Galleries, Melbourne
1982 Stuart Gertsman Galleries, Melbourne
1979 Glasgow School of Art
1978 Stirling Gallery, Greenock Arts Centre
1078 University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
1976 University of St. Andrews
1975 The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
1973 The Loomshop Gallery, Edinburgh
1971 The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
1965 Douglas & Foulis Gallery, Edinburgh
1965 French Institute Gallery, Edinburgh
1965 Traverse Theatre Gallery, Edinburgh

Public Collections
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Scottish Arts Council
Leeds City Art Gallery
Lillie Art Gallery
The Nuffield Foundation
Australian Government Collection
Queensland Art Gallery

Publications

Leon Morrocco: A Painter's Journey, 2018
Leon Morrocco: Journeys and Observations, London: 1998 (ISBN 1 902761 006)

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