Morris Nathanson
Mozart
Mozart
mixed media assemblage
24" x 54"
2008
24" x 54"
2008
March 21 through April 9, 2010
Morris Nathanson: Constructions, Wood and Paper
Morris Nathanson was raised in Pawtucket, R.I. He attended the local public schools and then, at age seventeen, joined the Navy. He received his BA in theater arts from the University of Miami. He then studied at the Dramatic Workshop New School of Social Research, N.Y.C, under the leadership of the late Irwin Piscater. At the Dramatic Workshop, Nathanson was particularly impressed with the concept of epic/tribunal theater and was inspired by the advent and importance of regional theater.Morris Nathanson: Constructions, Wood and Paper
After returning to Rhode Island, Nathanson balanced a busy career for several years while directing his interior design company and teaching at the Rhode Island School of Design. He was also very involved in the founding and early designs of Trinity Theater. When Trinity Theater Company decided to purchase the former Majestic Movie House, Nathanson, as chairman of the Building Committee, working with Adrian Hall and Eugene Lee, directed the necessary conversion.
Nathanson is the founder and president of Morris Nathanson Design, Inc. The company has been involved in the design of several projects throughout the United States, as well as abroad, with a major concentration in the hospitality field. The firm has also designed concert halls, such as B.B. King’s in Time Square, N.Y.C., and theme park restaurants for Disney in the U.S. and France.
Nathanson has balanced his life effectively in two creative camps, as both a designer and artist. His work as a designer has allowed him to place his art in many locations designed by his company.
During a period of change in Soho, N.Y. that encouraged a major artist presence, Nathanson was a managing partner of an exciting art gallery. This experience encouraged him to help develop an artist community in his native city of Pawtucket. The lofts of Soho inspired his visionary work in the vacant mills of Pawtucket. Nathanson has devoted his time and services in an effort to enhance the social, educational and artistic quality of his native city.
‘Constructions, Wood and Paper,’ includes several wood assemblages, all created from discarded wood, scraps and common found objects. Some of the found pieces are from local mills, demolition sites and street findings. Complimenting the wood assemblages, are Nathanson’s white line prints. Created from blocks of white pine, they are based on the Provincetown method of printmaking.
Nathanson has been honored as a life member of the Providence Art Club and is a founder of the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative and Trinity Repertory Company. He holds an honorary doctorate degree from Johnson and Wales University in business administration, as well as an honorary doctorate from Rhode Island College. Nathanson’s work, including his drawings, paintings and assemblages, are included in many private collections and commercial spaces.