2012/13: Heather and Ivan Morison

Heather and Ivan Morison’s work is performance-based and site-specific, existing as one-off happenings or large-scale sculptural installations in the public realm. They are inspired and fascinated by the natural world and a variety of other activities, from gardening and kite flying, to tree fanaticism and science fiction. Incorporating these activities directly in their work, the artists make their own observations and discoveries, revealed in pieces that include flying sculptures, puppetry performances and architectural constructions.

For the Whitechapel Gallery’s Artist in Residence Programme, Heather Morison worked with two Year 4 classes and their teachers at Thomas Buxton Primary School, Tower Hamlets throughout the academic year 2012/ 13, spending full days assisting with classroom activity. Each day, Morison led an art lesson based on her practice, dealing with text, object and performance.

In the first term, students were introduced to the Morison’s printed card, newspaper text and LED work, and to other artists who work with text such as Mark Tichner, Jenny Holzer and Mel Bochner.  Throughout the year, Morison shared what she was reading, watching and listening to with the children, introducing them to the way an artist works and inviting them to reciprocate with their own observations and stories of their everyday lives.

Heather Morison was born in Desborough, UK in 1973 and Ivan Morison in Istanbul, Turkey in 1974. They currently live and work between Brighton and North Wales.