Inside Lyrical Abstraction - Artist Talk & Q&A
SUNDAY 24TH August
From 6:30pm
“Garage Gallery” Melbourne
2 Hertford St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Join Melbourne-based Lebanese fashion photographer James Morris for an intimate conversation about the ideas, inspirations, and experiments behind his debut solo exhibition, Lyrical Abstraction.
Two nights after the opening, Morris will share the story of how bold colour palettes, sweeping gestures, and the work of 20th-century abstract painter Gérard Ernest Schneider became the catalyst for a body of work that blurs the line between fashion photography and fine art. Hear first-hand about his creative process — from concept to execution — and how identity, movement, and emotion shape his approach.
This is a unique opportunity to engage directly with the artist, ask questions, and gain a deeper understanding of how Lyrical Abstraction shifts the “canvas” from brush to lens, inviting us to feel as much as we see.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION:
Melbourne-based Lebanese fashion photographer James Morris makes his solo debut with Lyrical Abstraction, a vivid, emotionally-charged series that reimagines the language of abstract painting through the experimental lens of fashion photography.
Drawing direct inspiration from the bold colour palettes and gestural brushstrokes of Gerard Ernest Schneider’s work from the 1960s and ’70s, Morris shifts the canvas from paint to pixel, from brush to lens. In this collection, garments swirl like pigment, bodies move like lines, and colour becomes the driving force behind emotion. Each image captures not just a look, but a feeling; a moment suspended between movement and stillness, chaos and control.
Lyrical Abstraction is an exploration of fashion as art and photography as a vessel for expression. Through his richly saturated, exploratory compositions, Morris seeks to evoke the same visceral reaction one might feel in front of a painting, harnessing the immediacy of fashion imagery while blurring its boundaries. His work does not document; it interprets. It feels.
As a queer Lebanese-Australian artist, Morris brings a distinct perspective to the abstract — one rooted in identity, colour, and emotional intensity. Lyrical Abstraction is not only a visual homage to Schneider but a personal statement of artistic freedom and experimentation. It challenges how we see photography, how we read fashion, and how we feel through form.
This exhibition is not about recreating Schneider’s work, but responding to it; extending its spirit into new materials and contexts.
Free Entry – RSVP Essential
Spots are limited. Secure your place and be part of this special night of creative dialogue and connection.