Following on from Halsgrove’s earlier book on Michael Morgan, this new volume adds 80 new and previously unpublished works to form a celebration of the artist’s 80th birthday. There are in fact 130 illustrations in all, some of them from earlier periods of Michael Morgan’s life, making this a book that very much stands on its own as well as being a must for any lover or collector of the artist.
The necessary biographical and introductory text is in the original book and, apart from a brief foreword, the text here consists of short appreciations from a variety of artists, writers and critics. As this is a tribute these are, of course, wholly complimentary.
Even the most cursory glance at these pages is going to provoke a comparison with the work of John Blockley. This isn’t something we have to skirt round, the embarrassing admission we’re all too polite to mention, because John Blockley was the artist’s friend and mentor for many years and Morgan has deliberately built on and developed his style. Look more closely at any of the paintings and the differences are more numerous than the similarities.
This is a sumptuous volume produced with all Halsgrove’s usual care and attention to detail.
Halsgrove/Halstar 2008
£34.99
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