Malcolm Morley, Inaugural Turner Prize Winner and Influential Painter, Dies at 86

Malcolm Morley, the British-American painter who became the first recipient of the Turner Prize in 1984, has died at age 86. His death was announced jointly by his galleries, Xavier Hufkens in Brussels and Sperone Westwater in New York. Morley's career spanned decades and defied easy categorization, moving through abstract, hyperrealist, neo-romantic, and neo-expressionist styles while drawing from his personal experiences. Born in London in 1931, he studied at Camberwell School of Art and the Royal College of Art before relocating to New York in 1958. There, exposure to Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art influenced his development of a photorealist approach, though he preferred the term 'super realist.' His international exhibitions included participation in Documenta 5 and 6, as well as the Royal Academy's 1981 show 'A New Spirit in Painting.' A retrospective of his work was held at London's Hayward Gallery in 2001. The 1984 Turner Prize shortlist featured Richard Deacon, Gilbert & George, and Richard Long alongside Morley. His early education at Camberwell occurred while on parole following a prison sentence for petty theft.