MORRIS GRAVES | Bird of Prey

Born in the Oregon, Morris Graves was a leading member of a group of American artists known as the Northwest School of Visionary Art. Growing up in Seattle, Washington, Graves developed a lifelong spiritual bond to the diverse cultures and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. He received initial art training as a high school student in Beaumont, Texas, and later received regional attention through annual exhibitions held at the Seattle Art Museum. In 1942, Graves earned nationwide recognition when 30 of his paintings were shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Throughout the mid-twentieth century, the artist travelled extensively in Europe and Asia before settling in Ireland in 1954. A decade later, he moved back to the United States and established a studio in northern California where he lived until his death in 2001.  

Although not officially associated with the Surrealists, Graves adopted the movement’s focus on the subconscious and the power of art as a means of psychic exploration. His work was deeply influenced by fellow Northwest artist Mark Tobey, who introduced him to Zen Buddhism and encouraged him to study the intrinsic beauty of organic forms. As in Bird of Prey, Graves’ art sought to uncover the spiritual quality of transcendence inherent within plants and animals.