Desmond Morris

Key facts

Born

1928, British^[3]

Movement

• Surrealism

^[3]

Works held in

2 museums^[1]

Wikipedia

View article

Plan your visit to see Desmond Morris →

• What is Desmond Morris known for?+

  Desmond Morris is known for his work as a zoologist and Surrealist artist. He is also known for his 1967 bestseller, The Naked Ape, which applied ethology to human behaviour.
• What is Desmond Morris's most famous work?+

  Desmond Morris is best known for his 1967 book, *The Naked Ape*. In it, he presents a zoological study of humans, comparing human behaviour to that of other animals. Morris analyses aspects of human life, such as eating, sleeping, fighting, sex, and childrearing, from a biological perspective. He argues that, despite cultural and technological advancements, humans remain fundamentally driven by their biological instincts. *The Naked Ape* achieved considerable popularity; it was translated into numerous languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. The book sparked debate, with some praising Morris for his accessible and engaging writing style, while others criticised him for oversimplifying complex human behaviours and for his potentially reductionist approach. Despite the criticisms, *The Naked Ape* made an impact on popular science writing and contributed to discussions about human nature and behaviour.
• What should I know about Desmond Morris's prints?+

  When buying a Desmond Morris print, it is useful to understand some basic principles of printmaking and editioning. A print is considered original when the artist conceives it as a print and executes it as a print. Each print in the edition is an original, made from a plate, stone, screen, block or other matrix created for that purpose. Each print is individually inked and pulled; it is a multi-original medium. The artist decides the number of prints in the edition. Numbering provides an accounting; each print has a specific number, such as 12/25 (print 12 from an edition of 25). The edition claim is written as a pair of numbers on the left bottom margin of the print. The title of the print is written in the middle of the bottom margin, and the signature is on the right. The decision to limit an edition is the artist's choice, not a technical limitation. There is no inherent need to make limited editions, though most printmakers do. Every copy does not have to be produced at a single printing. An edition is limited by a claim, written in pencil at the foot of each print. These claims are subject to the Trade Descriptions Act 1968, requiring truthful descriptions.
• What style or movement did Desmond Morris belong to?+

  Desmond Morris is associated with Surrealism^[3], a movement that gained formal recognition with André Breton's 1924 manifesto. Surrealism aimed to express the true functioning of thought, without the control of reason or moral and aesthetic considerations. It explored the unconscious mind, dreams, and the juxtaposition of unrelated objects to unlock imagination and create a new reality. Breton defined Surrealism as 'pure psychic automatism', and advocated for dreamlike images and stream-of-consciousness techniques. Surrealist artists sought to create the 'marvellous' by using chance, poetry, and mystery. Surrealism's roots can be traced to literature, but visual artists like Max Ernst, Man Ray, and Picasso were also associated with the movement. Morris himself stated that he draws inspiration from nature, using it only as a starting point for his imagination, combined with abstraction, geometry, and design.
• What techniques or materials did Desmond Morris use?+

  Desmond Morris is known for his surrealist paintings and drawings, often featuring biomorphic forms and abstract compositions. While specific details about his techniques are not widely published, some general observations can be made based on art historical context and analysis of similar artists' methods. Morris likely employed a range of materials common to painting and drawing, such as oils, acrylics, watercolours, inks, pencils, and pastels. The choice of support would vary depending on the medium, including canvas, paper, and board. Technically, Morris may have used layering, blending, and glazing to achieve particular effects in his paintings. His drawings could involve hatching, cross-hatching, stippling, or other mark-making techniques to create tone and texture. As with many artists, Morris's approach probably evolved over time, with experimentation playing a significant role in his artistic development. The balance between conscious intention and accidental effects would also have been a factor in his creative process.
• What was Desmond Morris known for?+

  Desmond Morris is best known as a zoologist and ethologist, but he also maintained a lifelong involvement with surrealist art. His interest in art began in childhood, and he exhibited paintings from a young age. Morris's approach to art was influenced by his scientific understanding of the natural world. He saw parallels between animal behaviour and human creativity, believing that both were driven by innate biological forces. This perspective informed his surrealist paintings, which often feature biomorphic forms and dreamlike imagery. Although Morris is more widely recognised for his scientific work, particularly his book *The Naked Ape*, his contribution to surrealism is significant. He saw surrealism as a means of exploring the subconscious mind and expressing fundamental aspects of human existence. His artwork offers a unique perspective, blending scientific observation with artistic imagination.
• When did Desmond Morris live and work?+

  Desmond Morris is a British^[3] zoologist, ethologist, and artist. He was born on 24 January 1928^[3]. Morris is best known to the general public for his popular books on human behaviour, such as *The Naked Ape* (1967). This book examined human beings from a zoological perspective. He also wrote and presented television programmes on animal behaviour. Although less widely known, Morris has also maintained a lifelong involvement with art. He is a painter, and he was associated with the Surrealist movement in Britain during the 1940s and 1950s. He had contact with artists such as Joan Miró and René Magritte. Morris held his first solo exhibition in 1948, at the London Zodiac Gallery. His paintings often feature biomorphic forms and abstract shapes. He continues to paint and write from his home in Oxford.
• Where can I see Desmond Morris's work?+

  While a comprehensive list of Desmond Morris's exhibition locations is unavailable, several museums hold collections that may include his work. In the UK, these include the Victoria & Albert Museum in London; the National Museums of Scotland, Royal Museum, in Edinburgh; the Manchester Art Gallery; and the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Other possibilities are the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford and the British^[3] Museum in London. In the United States, museums with relevant collections are the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); the Minneapolis Institute of Arts; the Museum of Modern Art in New York; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond; the Wolfsonian at Florida International University; and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida. The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto also has relevant holdings. Always check museum websites for current exhibition details.
• Who did Desmond Morris influence?+

  Desmond Morris's influence is complex, extending across art and science. As a zoologist, his books, such as *The Naked Ape* (1967), influenced popular understanding of human behaviour through an evolutionary lens. This approach affected fields like sociology and anthropology, though sometimes controversially, due to its broad generalisations. In the art world, Morris's surrealist paintings and theories about animal art impacted artists interested in automatism and the subconscious. His studies of chimpanzee art, for instance, provided a novel perspective on the creative process, suggesting artistic expression is not exclusive to humans. Some artists explored similar themes of instinct and primal expression in their own work. However, it is difficult to trace direct lines of influence to specific artists. Morris's interdisciplinary approach made his impact diffuse. He affected general intellectual trends more than individual artistic styles. His popular writings also brought zoological concepts to a wider audience, indirectly shaping cultural attitudes towards science and art.
• Who influenced Desmond Morris?+

  Desmond Morris's artistic development was shaped by a combination of formal training and personal connections. He studied under দুটোs like Lucian Freud at the Central School of Art, an experience that exposed him to a particular approach to figurative art. Morris's interest in surrealism also played a role. He met Joan Miró and became familiar with the work of René Magritte; these encounters broadened his artistic horizons. Morris's paintings and drawings often incorporate surreal elements, a possible effect of his exposure to surrealist ideas. His academic background in zoology also affected his art. Morris studied animal behaviour, and this scientific perspective informs his artistic representations of both humans and animals. He does not depict his subjects naturalistically; instead, he uses his knowledge of biology to explore themes of instinct, behaviour, and the human condition through his art.
• Who was Desmond Morris?+

  Desmond Morris is an artist with detailed knowledge across many fields. His art uses history as its medium. He is historically conscious and aware of major developments in thought and the history of ideas. Morris studied art history, read Freud, and underwent five years of analysis. He discussed Duchamp with John Cage, formalism with Clement Greenberg, David Smith with Rosalind Krauss, and structuralism with Jack Burnham. His master's thesis was a structural analysis of Brancusi. His minimal sculpture was based on psychology, perception, and Piaget. He was acquainted with the philosophy of Hegel, Husserl, Nietzsche, Kant, and Wittgenstein. Aspects of Foucault's "archeology" and Derrida's "deconstruction" influenced his art. In 1971, Morris saw an exhibition of Giovanni Battista Piranesi's Carceri etchings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. He contrasted Piranesi's Baroque perspectives with the panopticon's viewpoint of surveillance from above. In drawings such as Gardens of Compulsive Exercise; Observation Yards; Security Walls; Separate Walkways: The Warders Above, the artist maps architectural sites and fragments, which combine in a structure of imprisonment.
• Why are Desmond Morris's works important today?+

  Desmond Morris's works are important due to his exploration of human and animal behaviour through a semiotic lens. Semiotics studies signs and symbols; it considers how meaning is created not just through language but also through images, tone, and colour. Morris applies this approach to the visual arts. His art can be analysed using iconology, which gained traction after the Second World War. Iconology provides a systematic classification of pictorial objects and subjects in visual arts. Morris's paintings and drawings often depict biomorphic forms and surrealist imagery, inviting viewers to decode their symbolic content. Morris's background as a zoologist informs his artistic practice, leading him to examine the underlying patterns and structures that govern both human and animal actions. This interdisciplinary approach, combining art with scientific observation, offers insights into the relationship between culture and biology. His art encourages a consideration of how we interpret visual information and the meanings we ascribe to it.