Robert C. Morgan's 'Light Streak' Exhibition Explores Neo-Metaphysical Abstraction

Robert C. Morgan's exhibition 'Light Streak' was presented at Sideshow Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, from October 16 to November 14, 2010. The show featured recent conceptual paintings alongside the previously unexhibited 1970s-80s installation 'Dark Enlightenment'. Morgan described his approach as neo-metaphysical, seeking a visual language for philosophy rather than formalist composition. His recent work involved six abstract metallic signs painted on ultramarine or raw umber grounds over black, creating optical effects through light absorption and reflection. These signs gained symbolic meaning through their syntactic arrangement on larger 30 by 40 inch canvases. 'Dark Enlightenment' included a 1974 aluminum sculpture based on a 1937 swim manual photograph, two abstract figurative paintings, and a John Locke quote letter-pressed on the wall. Morgan connected the manual's 1937 publication date to the Nazi 'Degenerate Art' exhibition in Munich. He cited influences including philosopher Jacques Derrida's concept of neo-metaphysics, Martin Heidegger's philosophy of Being, and Korean painter Yun Hyong Geun's use of ultramarine and umber. The artist emphasized intuition and experiential openness over explanation, rejecting attempts to illustrate philosophy with art. He positioned his work against contemporary market trends while advocating for conceptual abstraction's continued relevance.