Morris Dorenfeld
MORRIS DAVID DORENFELD (American, 1937-2023)
Morris David Dorenfeld was born in Chicago and studied painting at the Art Institute of Chicago, graduating with a BFA in 1960. He attended the Art Students League in New York in 1962, and summered for several years in Provincetown, MA. Upon settling in mid-coast Maine, he began his lifelong love of weaving, producing some 70 tapestries from 1980-2023.
In Morrie’s words, ”Being a painter by training, I use the loom to weave wool tapestries – paintings in fiber. The weavings rely on compositions of harmony, proportion, balance, and above all the visual music of color. Brilliant primary color itself is the subject of the artwork – color is king.
I often think of my works as music - improvisational, lyrical – meant to make you feel good. My titles reflect that. It is said that “Your eyes are the window to your soul.” I believe these works of art are the window to my soul. The creation of art is an act of faith – the celebration of life. It proclaims – We are here. We were here. We mattered. WE MATTER!”
The Tapestries of Morris David Dorenfeld: Paintings in Fiber, a retrospective about his life as a weaver, was published in 2023.