Alastair Morton (British 1910-1953)
After studying at the Edinburgh University and Balliol College, Oxford, in 1931 he entered a family business as an Art Director to Edinburgh Weavers, subsidiary of Sundour Fabrics of Carlise. This brought him into contact with many contemporary artists who used his firm, notably Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson.
He began to paint in 1936 and continued until 1962, exhibiting from 1939. Between 1937-8 he adapted designs of painters and sculptors to fabrics and from 1939 until1945 studied handloom weaving under Ethel Mairet. He launched Constructivist fabrics at Edinburgh Weavers' New Bond Street showroom.
After his death, retrospective exhibition were held in 1964 at Tullie House, Carlise, Victoria and Albert Museum, London and at the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester.
An exhibition on Morton's involvement with Edinburgh Weavers was held in 1978 at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, which holds his work.
Bibliography
Three Generations of a Family Textile Firm, Jocelyn Morton, London 1971.
Group Exhibitions
1939, Living Art in England, London Gallery; Abstract Work, Whitechapel Art Galler; Group exhibition, Lefevre Gallery, London
1940, England to-day, Sydney and Melbourne; Aspects of abstract Paintings in Britain 1910-60
1974, Talbot Rice Art Centre, Edinburgh