Ree Morton | In-conversation: Abi Shapiro & Jo Applin

To mark the first UK solo exhibition dedicated to the renowned American conceptual and feminist artist Ree Morton (1936–1977), Richard Saltoun Gallery is delighted to present a special in-conversation event featuring Abi Shapiro, Curator at The Hepworth Wakefield, and Jo Applin, Professor at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Together, they will explore Morton’s life and practice, situating her work within its broader historical context. This is a rare opportunity to gain deeper insight into an underrecognised artist who played a pivotal role in the development of installation art, shedding light on the enduring importance and influence of her work.

Morton was a pioneering figure whose work anticipated the turn towards installation, narrative, and performance that came to define artistic practice in the 1970s. Situated within the context of emerging feminist discourse and shifting understandings of the role of women artists, Morton resisted fixed categorisation. Her practice intersected with Minimalism, Post-Minimalism, and feminist art, while maintaining a position independent of any singular movement.

Over the course of a single decade, she developed a highly distinctive body of work that bridged conceptual rigor with personal experience. The exhibition brings together a focused selection of works from Ree Morton’s brief yet prolific career, foregrounding the development of her practice across painting, drawing, and sculptural forms. Building on the exhibition, this event offers a chance to explore Morton’s work in greater depth, with thoughtful discussion and new perspectives shared by two leading specialists. 

Abi Shapiro is currently the curator at the Hepworth Wakefield Museum. She specializes in sculpture and installation art made by women from the mid to late twentieth century. Her doctoral research, Ree Morton and Feminist Installation Art: 1968–1977, contextualised Ree Morton’s legacy within the history and debates of 1970s feminist art and installation art in the United States. 

Jo Applin is Professor of the History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. A specialist in modern and contemporary art, her research focuses on American and British art since 1945, with particular attention to abstraction, feminism, sexuality, and subjectivity. She is currently a member of the Courtauld’s Governing Board and Director of the Centre for American Art.