In 1952-53, Morrison lived in Paris and the south of France on a Fulbright study fellowship, an opportunity that helped him attain a deeper understanding and appreciation of European modern art. This drawing, one of many small works on paper he produced during his year abroad, embodies his distinctive style of abstraction that often began with Surrealist-inspired automatic drawing techniques. Originating in France in the early 1920s, the Surrealists included writers, poets, and visual artists who disdained rationalism and believed that dreams and the unconscious mind held an infinite reservoir of creative imagination that could be tapped through automatism (free association techniques). Here, expressive line merges with organic and rectilinear forms of contrasting value and color to create a harmonious abstraction that simultaneously suggests landscape and the mystical elements of totemic art—artworks that communicate spiritual significance through their forms and subject matter.
