The press of Heather & Ivan Morison
Publication: Headline: Picture: Caption: Selected editorial: "By David Macauley It may well be artichoke but is it art? This is the question passers-by were asking yesterday about one of the most unusual sculptures in Norwich School of Art and Design’s newly-opened Outwardbound exhibition. While Picasso went through a blue stage it seems that Ivan Morison from Birmingham has been going through a green one. He rents a plot in Edgbaston and has been growing his one produce there with varying degrees of success. Now he has taken the theme a stage further by setting up a barrow on Duke Street, near Norwich Gallery. 'I am a novice to this kind of thing but I have done a roaring trade. I set up at 4pm on Wednesday and make £100. Many passers-by have not realised this is a piece of work and said that we need a fruit and vegetable stall here' he said. But while the 28-year-old artist may be able to pass himself off as a market trader, proving his enterprise is art presents a few awkward banana skins. 'There’s the arrangement of the fruit, the form and the interaction with the public. Look at this yellow melon I think to myself: ‘it’s a lovely melon' there’s artistic merit in that', he stressed. 'Some people realise it’s a piece of work . Some don’t but even when they realise it is a piece of work they will still want to but vegetables.' 'It is a new venture for me, vegetable selling. I am having a go at it in an artistic sort of way. Whether this translated itself into a financially viable enterprise remains to be seen'. Ivan intends to run his stall for only four days but he said that the project had raised his awareness of the difficulties faced by stall holders and the subliminal art which goes into their work. 'You try stacking these up. It’s really hard.' As if on cue, a pyramid of oranges collapsed. 'At first it was a real mess. It was really harvest festival. Today I'm going for the classic look the pyramids. But it is all falling down.' Ivan admitted selling the fruit and vegetables has been somewhat problematic. 'I haven’t got the hang of the prices yet. I'm making it up as I go along.' The artist bought the produce for his stall from Mr Fruity in Norwich. He had been growing vegetables in his Birmingham garden but the results were far from impressive. His Red Flare cabbages suffered from slug attach, poor soil and a shaded position. 'I'm highlighting the artistic qualities of everyday things. I'm also having a go at these things. The cabbages were terrible and I don’t even like cabbages. But they are fantastic colours and the form where the slugs have eaten holes make great drawings.' By Saturday, Ivan hopes to have sold all his produce. The stall will be shut down, the vegetables boxes will be put on top of it and it will be displayed in the gallery 'like a sculpture'. Ivan’s next project is a flower stall, which he intends to run in Birmingham later this month. 'It will probably look more beautiful in a way' Ivan may be an artist but he is no artisan. While was confident he was picking up the art of being a barrow boy, he admitted he was not brave enough to consider setting up shop in the cut-throat atmosphere of Norwich market. Bona fide stall holders at the market were cautious about the project. 'I suppose it is an art really,' said Melvyn Taylor, who has been working on his stall, G Taylor and Son, for over 30 years. 'When you look at the stalls that are set out properly and the ones which are a mess you appreciate the work which goes into those which look nice. You have to look at the colours and where everything goes.' Melvyn’s O Level in art may have even proven useful with the odd carrot arrangement. 'As a definition, though, I don’t think a vegetable stall can be art. I think there’s more skill to putting up a vegetable stall than putting down a pile of bricks. There’s a skill attached to it but I’m doubtful about it being an art form'... "
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