Artwork
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse is a print by Nick Morley. It dates from 2011 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
You can learn more about printmaking techniques, such as chiaroscuro, to understand how artists like Nick Morley create their work.
The title of this print is Crazy Horse, created by Nick Morley in 2011.
It's part of a project by East London Printmakers, a collective that supports artists with studio space and equipment. They publish a boxed set of prints each year to showcase their members' work.
You can learn more about printmaking techniques, such as chiaroscuro, to understand how artists like Nick Morley create their work.
Overview
Crazy Horse is a 2011 print by Nick Morley, produced as part of the annual ELP Box initiative by East London Printmakers. This collective, founded in 1998 and based in Hackney, supports its members through shared studio resources and professional opportunities. Each year, artists contribute a small print to a limited-edition boxed set of forty, serving both as a collective archive and a fundraising tool for the group’s activities.
Subject & Meaning
The title references Crazy Horse, the Lakota leader known for resistance and cultural resilience. Morley’s print does not depict a literal portrait but evokes the figure through abstracted forms and layered textures. The work invites reflection on memory, identity, and historical representation, using visual ambiguity to suggest rather than narrate the subject’s legacy.
Technique & Style
Morley employed traditional printmaking methods, likely including relief and intaglio processes, to build depth through layered ink applications. The composition emphasizes tonal contrast and gestural mark-making, with a restrained palette that enhances the work’s somber tone. Surface texture is deliberately varied, suggesting erosion and time, aligning with the theme of historical memory.
History & Provenance
Created for the 2011 ELP Box, the print was one of forty identical editions produced by members of the collective. Proceeds from sales support artist development and public programming. A small number of sets were donated to institutional archives, ensuring the work’s preservation within public collections as part of the group’s documented history.
Context
East London Printmakers emerged in a post-industrial landscape where access to printmaking facilities was limited. The ELP Box initiative responded to this by creating a sustainable model for artist collaboration and visibility. By focusing on small-scale, reproducible works, the collective democratized access to original prints while fostering a community-centered approach to artistic production.
Legacy
The ELP Box has become a recurring platform for documenting the evolving practices of its members. Crazy Horse, as part of this annual project, contributes to a broader archive of contemporary British printmaking rooted in collective action. Its inclusion in public collections ensures its continued relevance as an example of artist-led cultural infrastructure.
Artist & collection
Artist
British artist Nick Morley makes bold, eye-catching prints that often mix history with a modern twist.
