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| All images have been
used with permission. All images are copyrighted
and strictly for educational and viewing purposes. |
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Who inspired
you to become an artist?
I loved art as a kid, and can remember drawing
from an early age, but I really got into it after
an accident in 1967 left me with a broken femur.
There was plenty of time to draw while I was learning
to walk again. Of course, I loved comic books
but I was also inspired by Picasso, Leonardo da
Vinci, and the Renaissance artists. |
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Perrier |
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Why POP art?
I was fascinated by Andy Warhol's images; the colors,
too, were amazing. Without a doubt, he opened the
door for today's POP artists. The idea of mixing
illustration with graphic design and putting a twist
on familiar images of popular culture, such as comic
strips and supermarket products, really appealed
to me. It's a positive, upbeat, and refreshing style. |
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POP Popcorn |
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What was your first
commercial break?
My artwork was chosen to hang on the set of Friends
in the mid-1990s. Actually, over a dozen original
paintings were part of the show's permanent set
over its ten season run, most notably the painting
of the coffee cup titled "Coffee Break",
which had a home in the Central Perk coffee shop. |
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Friends: Coffee
Break |
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What was your
most challenging assignment?
There are two, in fact, that come to mind. In 2004,
I was commissioned by The Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences to create a re-energized image,
something that would get people's attention, for
the 76th Annual Academy Awards. The pressure to
come up with a brand new vision – capturing
the essence of Hollywood by mixing the town's traditional
chic with its contemporary style – was enormous!
I had to come up with ten ideas in the space of
two weeks, knowing that over a billion people would
be viewing my work. The Dick Tracy image was used
on posters, billboards, banners, and television
advertisements. The second assignment was for the
2004 Summer Olympic Games. I was selected by the
International Olympic Museum of Lausanne, Switzerland,
to provide a contemporary vision that captured the
Spirit of the Games. |
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POP meets Oscar |
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From your portfolio,
what is your favorite piece?
The question stumps me! Personally, I can't pinpoint
a favorite piece. Each has a different appeal to
me. That's the beauty of any artist's work...it's
subjective. I like to make a statement with my art,
and have an impact on society. Some pieces, of course,
have a greater impact than others. |
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Olympic Torches |
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So, how was
your experience on The Apprentice?
I loved the challenge and was honored to be invited
as one of two POP artists. I was surprised to see
the broadcast edit, though, because it implied that
we came up with the design in a matter of minutes.
In fact, we had three hours and I presented three
themes for consideration. But the team didn't take
my agent's suggestion about marketing the t-shirt
to existing clients and through our gallery –
an error of judgement that cost them dearly! |
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The artist
and his work |
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For information about
Burton Morris, please visit:
www.BurtonMorris.com |
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