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Examples of action-expressionism line his basement studio-bedroom—large black canvases slashed with color laid on with a paint roller, brush and palette knife. Requiem for Bird, named for the late Jazz Saxophonist Charlie ("Bird") Parker, looks like a grey goose hit hard in flight by a charge from a chokebore shotgun. "When I run out of materials, I borrow and steal shamelessly," says Morris. "After I painted some canvases on the Jack Paar Show, I sold one to a dealer in Chicago. Then I was on CBS and NBC newsreels. I got other customers. They came, but they couldn't wait to get out of here fast enough. They were afraid to get their mink suits dirty. Ha!"
* Born and reared in Brooklyn, Commissioner Arm has no trouble rhyming law (pronounced lore) and bore.