Dog Show #1: The Dinner Party // Stephen Morrison

About

Morrison, a longtime lover of dogs, had an epiphany two years ago while working on a painted portrait of his childhood pet. He realized he could use dogs as a motif to convey the human condition and arrive at more universal emotions than with people. He began creating nothing but art with dogs and has used the culmination of these years to build this installation.

Dog Show #1: The Dinner Party features 16 life-sized humanoid dogs that revel, sleep, and misbehave at an elegant yet excessive feast reminiscent of the notorious gatherings that Morrison and his partner have historically been known to throw. Made of clay and plaster, each guest is a variation of the same character, all wearing white button-down shirts, indigo jeans, and looks of a desperate search for pleasure. Special editions of his extremely successful paintings and food sculptures have been seamlessly integrated into the immersive environment. Never has it been truer that people have an unexpressed animal side, desperate for release. We’ve been confined for too long.