Page 23 - Art First: Simon Morley: Lost Horizon

Lost Horizon Nos.1–4

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is series of paintings uses images of the Lamasery in Shangri-La
from the Frank Capra film Lost Horizon (1938) and couples them with
various names for the perfect community taken from different cultures,

epochs, and contexts.

e amazing sets for Lost Horizon were designed by Stephen Goosson
in the ‘Streamline Moderne’ style. I juxtapose a specific Hollywood

vision of Shangri-La/Utopia with other versions represented by their
names. As in much of my work, the image is deliberately monochro -
matic and indistinct, as if fading from view or emerging. I juxtapose
visual and verbal representations. e words are painted in relief.

ere is high contrast between text and image, but it is tactile rather
than visual.