EP46 - ARTIST AND FACILITATOR - George Morl

Live from Firstsite Colchester (the Golden Banana). Exhibition programme manager George is born and bred Bas Vegas (aka Basildon) from Laindon Hills. His family grew up in a self-built wooden shack in the Plotlands - which fitted closely into the themes of Michael Landy’s ‘Welcome to Essex’ exhibition, George’s first project at Firstsite. Firstsite has seen artists like Ai Weiwei, Anthony Gormley, Grayson Perry - and now George himself! It began with a bursary in 2020 talking to autistic people about what art meant to them. Which led to an open call for artworks about technology, which lead to this autobiographical exhibition ‘Voyager 2000: Worldbeing & Wonder?’ where George tells his life story through other people’s artwork. George was trapped in an uninspiring retail job, and managed to hustle his way into doing what he wanted - by pursuing art journalism to talk about ableism in queer spaces in Gay Times and then using social media to find art mentors. As a child George visited the National Gallery in between hospital appointments, and he studied painting for human emotion which helped him mask. Art is very relationship based, artists being recommended by other people. George would use dating sites to meet men that would teach him about art history. He is interested in changing the power dynamics in the artworld. Hanging exhibitions at different heights for accessibility. Balancing accessibility needs. He advocates engagement over preservation, and wants people to touch some artworks. Making smellable artworks. George came into art through the art therapy programme at Great Ormond Street Hospital when he was a child. He had his artwork shown at Turner Contemporary at Margate, and acquired by Southend Museum. How did George include the Grindr app colours into his exhibition. Why you should make friends with caretakers! Getting diagnosed as autistic. Talking about the Disability Pride flag. Fetishisation of the disabled body. How technology in Essex has gone from the invention of radio all the way to location services in Grindr? How did a Nintendo Wii-U make George burst out crying? Mixing established artists with emerging artists within an exhibition.

George Morl website

George on Instagram

Are You Creative? recorded by Lawker Media, at Firstsite Colchester, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

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Thanks to NGDA for their support