Malcolm Morley

Malcolm Morley was born in 1931 in London and moved to the United States in 1957 where he now lives in a converted church on Long Island. A maverick who does not fit into any movement, he began painting lessons while serving a prison sentence, as a way of getting out of his cell. In this film, we gain an insight into the experiences that informed the wry outlook of this enfant terrible of the art world. The film covers the range of his work, which has changed radically during the course of his career. Morley talks to Patrick Malahide and critic David Sylvester about his work, his attitude to the art establishment, and about the way the skills he learned in prison have filtered into his art. Morley is filmed at work on two paintings, one part of a series inspired by his travels in Greece, and the other a watercolour in London Zoo. While in London he also revisits the painting of his youth, an experience that has significant consequences at the end of the film.