“I sure had great timing,” says Gerald Morgan, a sardonic smile spreading across his face.
The Tennessee artist was talking about his decision to enlist in the U.S. Army right out of high school. It was 1965, and the United States was just beginning a major build-up of forces in South Vietnam. Before the year was out, Morgan found himself serving in-country as a mechanic with the 129th Assault Helicopter Company.
Fortunately for Morgan, he came away from Southeast Asia with more than a knowledge of Huey helicopter rotors. He also discovered his love for the visual arts. This passion will be on display at Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center as part of its Sixth Annual Veterans Art Exhibition, which runs Oct. 19 to Nov. 17, 2024. Titled Brave Beauty, the exhibit will feature Morgan’s oil paintings along with a selection of quilts from the Quilts of Valor Foundation.
Morgan, a lean, soft-spoken Nashvillian, first fell in love with art while on leave from the 129th AHC. During a short trip to Tokyo in 1966, he visited the city’s National Museum of Western Art, where 157 sculptures, drawings and prints by the legendary French artist Auguste Rodin were on display. For the young Army enlisted man, Rodin’s work was a revelation.
“The experience of seeing all of these works was overwhelming,” says Morgan. “I was mesmerized by the scope and originality of Rodin’s work. I knew immediately I wanted to do something with art. It took me a long time, though, to figure out what that was going to be.”
After leavomg the Army in 1968, Morgan first tried his hand at design, enrolling in the now defunct Harris School of Art in Franklin. He went on to study art at Austin Peay State University and Western Kentucky University. Like many young art students, Morgan initially experimented with abstract art. But this turned out to be a dead end.
“Abstract art just did not feed my soul,” Morgan says.
So, the young artist decided to study aboard. His time in Madrid, Spain proved to be a pivotal point in his artistic development. It was there that he discovered the art of the early 20th-century Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla.
The great Spanish artist was known for his mastery of light and color, techniques that define his celebrated portraits and landscapes. Sorolla bathed his paintings in various shades of blue, reflecting sunlit water and the bright sunlight of Spain.
Following Sorolla’s example, Morgan was soon creating his own portraits and landscapes. But in contrast to the Spanish artist, Morgan created paintings that were awash in shades of green, a subtle nod to the native flora covering Tennessee’s many plateaus, river valleys and mountains.
Not all of Morgan’s influences have been in the visual arts. A self-described classical music afficionado, Morgan mentions the symphonists Gustav Mahler, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Alan Hovhaness as among his favorite composers. Hovhaness, a 20th-century American composer, has been especially influential. Morgan’s painting “Mysterious Mountain,” which is on display at Monthaven, was inspired by Hovhaness’ lyrically expressive and mystically compelling Symphony No. 2 “Mysterious Mountain.”
Morgan is also passionate about dance. Not surprisingly, dancers are a frequent subject of his artworks. His painting and charcoal drawings are held in high esteem around the world. Clearly, the artist has a knack for capturing the energy and joy of dance.
During his career, Morgan has mounted over 20 one-man shows, including at The Parthenon Museum in Nashville. This will be his first exhibit at Monthaven. What does he hope visitors to Monthaven will take away from the exhibit?
“I want people to see how deeply committed I am to my art,” he says. “I want them to see that there is real poetry here.”
