Malcolm Morley

Baldwin Gallery, Aspen

Aspen, Baldwin Gallery, Malcolm Morley, Africa: Watercolors, July - August, 1997

In good condition aside from small areas of pigment separation lower left corner.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1997, Morley travelled by cargo boat along the coast of South Africa.  His aim was to experience this romantic form of travel, of which he had a lifelong fascination, and to explore material for a new body of work.  In Muizenberg, a beach resort near Cape Town, he was fascinated by the old-fashioned beach huts there (known locally as bathing booths); this canvas (one of only two oils he created of this subject) is the result.

As in many of Morley's paintings, including Mariner  (Tate Gallery, fig. 1) Morley included in this composition a red and white plane, skydiving above the sea. The airplane is a recurring motif: inspired by the models he had first made as a youth and continued to fashion during his career to use as source material, often actually stuck on to canvases. Afterwards the planes (and boats and trains) would feature in  compositions drawn from his frequent, extensive travel adventures to symbolize the means by which he reached these exotic destinations.  The 'Red Baron' plane, eblazoned with its bright red patterning, sweeps across numerous autobiographical references, real and virtual.