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Immersing himself into professional art since the 1970s, Jim Morphesis has a list of accomplishments to show for it.

He has been in almost 200 national and international exhibitions, as well as having permanent displays at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and receiving many awards.

“As an artist, I get to put [my work] out there in the world, get some attention, and have people take something away from my work,” said Morphesis.

Coming to the Garboushian Gallery in Beverly Hills from Jan. 28th until March 10th is a solo show, the first since 2008, according to Morphesis.

Time and Desireshowcases 13 new oil and mixed media paintings of red roses.

Tightly packed into their frames, Morphesis describes the roses as fleshy and heavy, involving a lot of detail and time spent on each.

“There are wrinkles and tears. They are also fleshy and very sexual. [They feel more] like a human than a rose,” he said.

Morphesis further explains that these works are different from things he’s done in the past, which have included skulls and crucifixes.

“I want people to get that the work is a metaphor for everybody’s personal struggles….Time and Desire refers to the fact that there are things we want to accomplish in life. Time is fleeting, and when we think about time, we think about what we accomplish and what we don’t.”

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Morphesis decided at the age of 13 he would be an artist, a decision influenced by his father, who was an illustrator.

“Painting was something I always did. At some point I didn’t have many options. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a professional football player, but that didn’t work out. The next thing I did well was paint and draw, so I went to art school,” he said.

He attained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Tyler School of Art of Temple University in 1970. He then moved to California for his Masters of Fine Arts degree from the California Institute of Arts in 1972.

Along with gallery showings, exhibitions, and displays, Morphesis has been a teacher at PCC for 14 years. Having classes in foundation drawing, figure drawing, and painting, he spends the rest of his time helping students with their artwork.

Though both occupations take up a lot of his time, he finds them to be rewarding.

“As a teacher, it’s seeing someone come into PCC with talent and if they’ve got a drive, it’s pushing them a little bit and encouraging them to go on and be a professional artist,” he said.

Morphesis’ advice to hopeful artists stressed the importance of dedication.

“Training is important, and getting educated in your field is important. [If] your drive and the need to do the work [is there], I don’t see anything getting in your way. Someway you’ll find your way into that career. Even if it’s not what you envisioned, you’ll somehow be involved in the art world,” he said.

Along with Time and Desire, Morphesis is currently apart of a group exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of California Art called L.A. RAW, which opened Jan. 21st and will continue until May 20th. The director of the gallery was a student of Morphesis at PCC.

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