Malcolm Morley

Here an ocean liner, a sailboat, and two biplanes—one featuring British insignias, the other the Japanese Rising Sun motif—veer over a beach and a turbulent sea. The image recalls a disturbing memory: the destruction of Morley’s childhood home—and his favorite model boat—in a bombing during World War II. Addressing this
traumatic experience years later, Morley made colorful balsawood model ships and planes, assembled them into still-life scenes, and painted works such as this one. The title refers to a 1942 film starring Bette Davis, about a tumultuous romance that begins on a cruise ship. DJM (on view 06/04/2018-02/02/2020)