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Rat Tat Tat

Malcolm Morley American, born England
2001
Not on view
In this monumental painting Morley plays with repetition, replication, and the personal and political economies of images. Born in London, Morley often spoke of experiencing the German Luftwaffe bombing campaign of Britain during World War II and making balsa wood models of planes and battleships. These childhood memories informed his adult work, much of which portrays airplanes and fighter pilots. Produced in massive scale, Rat Tat Tat replicates three World War I fighter-plane model kits, merchandise that encouraged children to reenact war as if it were a game. Aspects of the painting, such as its onomatopoeic title and flattened toy parts with colorful geometric patterns, speak to Morley’s interest in Pop art as well as to the commodification of war.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Rat Tat Tat
  • Artist: Malcolm Morley (American (born England) London 1931–2018 New York)
  • Date: 2001
  • Medium: Oil on linen
  • Dimensions: 94 × 197 in. (238.8 × 500.4 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, George A. Hearn Fund, Kathryn E. Hurd Fund, and Andrew and Christine Hall Gift, 2013
  • Object Number: 2013.946
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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