Burton Morris

Burton Morris was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1964. He earned his bachelor of fine arts degree at Carnegie Mellon University in 1986. After graduation, Burton started a career as an art director in advertising. The Artist established the Burton Morris Studios in 1990. That year he began making his small post-pop icons into large scale paintings. He would choose one subject per composition to create what he calls “an instant happening” for the viewer. He used his background in advertising to blur the lines between high and low art. In 1992, Absolut Vodka selected his artwork to represent Pennsylvania for its prestigious Absolut Statehood campaign. During that same year, his paintings began to hang on the hit NBC television sitcom Friends. Over the years Morris has exhibited his work in many venues internationally. Among them are forty-two paintings and drawings that were shown at the auction gallery Sotheby’s in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The International Olympic Committee selected the Artist to produce thirty-six triumphant paintings on the spirit of the Olympic Games which exhibited at the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Morris' work burst onto the American stage and was given worldwide exposure in 2004 when he produced signature images for the 76th annual Academy Awards. The artwork enlivened the façade of the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, CA and was seen internationally by over one billion viewers. The artist also has produced signature artwork for FIFA World Cup Soccer, The United Nations, the 38th Montreux Jazz Festival, and Major League Baseball’s 2006 All-Star Game to name a few. Original artworks have been commissioned for corporations and institutions such as H.J. Heinz, Absolut Vodka, Chanel Corporation, Warner Brothers, Perrier, AT&T, Kellogg's Corporation and the U.S. State Department. In addition, his artwork has helped to raise millions of dollars for charities worldwide. Morris' artwork is featured in the collections of The Albright Knox Museum, The Jimmy Carter Center, The Elysee Museum, The United Nations, The World of Coca Cola Museum and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Private collectors range from presidents, dignitaries, celebrities and corporate leaders worldwide. The Artist maintains a studio in Los Angeles, California.