Meet John Morris | painter, musician, flâneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Morris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
Yes, I find myself referring back to this quote from poet and novelist Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 -1926) about our approach to creative endeavor:

“Seek those themes which your own everyday life offers you; describe your sorrows and desires, passing thoughts and the belief in some sort of beauty — describe all these with loving, quiet, humble sincerity, and use, to express yourself, the things in your environment, the images from your dreams, and the objects of your memory. ”

I like this because it takes my thinking for the excessively general, to specific inspiration, while not requiring specific detail at the same time. It is akin to the “write/paint what you know” idea, but is far more useful than that– i find that I don’t necessarily know what i know, as odd as that may sound. However, we all have an environment to refer too, and dream-images, and memory, and they can work together to form a constant wellspring of inspiration. Going to that well on a daily basis is crucial for my personal mission.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a painter and a musician. The two disciplines don’t contradict each other; rather, in a quiet sort of way, they inform each other. If i’m not drawing and painting, i’m making music, still active and making records, with my band Party Battleship (linktr.ee/partybattleship).

The two loves grew up in tandem, in a way. I’ve been painting since i was a child, in some form or other. My earliest art education was from my (art-loving) parents, in particular trips to the National Gallery in Washington, which became my church. I think i recognized early on that I wanted my art to navigate the terrain between the literal/figurative and the abstract. The latter I learned about from my college painting instructor Herb Jackson, at Davidson College; the former I learned about from an early love of the works of Rembrandt, Titian, Rubens, and Manet. Since finishing school I have continued the quest to hone the representational aspects of my art, by attending regular workshop sessions at the great Studio Incammanati (https://studioincamminati.edu/) with various amazing instructors.

Meanwhile, music education, and a devotion to music (especially melodic music) has been an ever present factor, too. I started piano at five, and never stopped dreaming in that space.

I’m excited about the possibilities that still exist in the space of figuration meeting abstraction, and this is where my work is starting to trend. And perhaps this is the visual meeting the musical? Since music is the most abstract of art forms, i think. This is the space i want to work in, for now, but I also believe in keeping my mind open to where the work takes me. I think this is critical for artists– don’t get boxed in to a concept. By that i mean not only the concept of what your work looks like, or is “doing,” but also the various medias that seem to dominate the landscape these days. Don’t live and die by the social media post, for instance.

Getting people to like and purchase art or listen to music is not an easy task. I’ve always been deeply grateful when someone wants my particular visions in their living spaces. An ongoing challenge is to create work that inspires that reaction consistently, day-in, day-out.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m in Charlotte, and have been for over twenty years. My go-tos tend to be the time honored, and sometimes quirky, locally-flavored places. The city is growing so fast that keeping these close to my heart can be a challenge.

I would take them over to the Tip Top Market (https://tiptop.market/) because the vibe there is so creative and friendly. Great place to have a drink and chat. If we’re feeling really adventurous, i would take them to a show at either Snug Harbor (snugrock.com) or the Thirsty Beaver on Central. The Beaver is a remarkable place, unique to the city.

We would have to stop by Beef n’ Bottle on South Blvd. for a dinner. The ambiance is so wonderfully old-world, including pictures of celebrities on the walls and in the booths. The service staff is wonderful there, and they have the best Bleu Cheese dressing, AND cocktail sauce, i’ve ever had.

The Uptown Mint museum has really started to bring some wonderful shows. Their Picasso show last year was inspirational and really well done. It’s now back on the menu, as far as i’m concerned.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shoutout to the Saturday morning drawing group hosted by artist Teri Otten (terriotten.com). I try to attend this group as regularly as possible, because it is a reliable working habit (drawing from life almost weekly) but also a tremendous source of community, support, and fellowship among fellow artists working in many different styles and approaches. It is a living, organic group of wonderful people and artists.

Artists often communicate visually because they are less skilled at other forms of communication. Having this group to bounce ideas off of, and to simply share laughs and sorrows with, is priceless in value, to me and others.

Website: https://linktr.ee/johnnyrollerball

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyrollerball/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmorrisart

Other: On Threads @johnnyrollerball

Image Credits
All photos by me.