Desmond Morris, Surrealist Painter and Zoologist Known for 'The Naked Ape', Dies at 98

Desmond Morris has died at age 98. Born in Wiltshire in 1928, he earned a PhD from Oxford University after studying zoology at the University of Birmingham. His multifaceted career spanned television, writing, and art. Morris produced and hosted Granada Television's 'Zoo Time' from 1956 to 1967 and later created over 100 episodes of the BBC series 'Life in the Animal World'. He authored more than 90 books, including the international bestseller 'The Naked Ape' in 1967. As a surrealist painter, his work is held in collections at the Tate, Southampton City Art Gallery, and the Yale Center for British Art. In 1950, he organized an exhibition featuring Joan Miró and made two surrealist films: 'Time Flower' and 'The Butterfly and the Pin'. His art practice included studying ape image-making; in 1957, he curated a show of chimpanzee art at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). The following year, he co-curated 'The Lost Image' at the Royal Festival Hall, displaying works by infants, adults, and apes. Morris served as director of the ICA in 1967 during its relocation to the Mall, resigning after a year. A 2017 BBC programme, 'The Secret Surrealist', featured his artistic output. His television documentaries included 'Manwatching' (1977), 'TV and Natural History' (1986), and 'The Human Animal' (1994). Earlier, he worked as curator of mammals for the Zoological Society in 1959.