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Shared November 24, 2022
Marcus Morris uses his photographic practice to explore his identity as a black, queer Appalachian. His most recent work is shot in Ohio, where his multiracial family has had roots since the era of slavery. Morris works closely with model Xavier Cruz who represents a younger version of himself that he seeks to liberate, often shooting him in rural landscapes of his home state. In "Elegance Is Refusal"—his contribution to my exhibition—Morris turned a photograph of a semi-nude Xavier into a screen print, repeating and abstracting the image to suggest movement. It was printed on craft paper, riffing off and questioning the colorist "brown paper bag test." The title is a reference to a quote by famed Vogue editor in chief Diana Vreeland who famously quipped: "Elegance is innate. It has nothing to do with being well dressed. Elegance is refusal." #blackart #appalachia #blackalachia #pastispresent
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