Owen Morrel was born in 1950 in Amityville, New York with the Atlantic Ocean in his backyard. Morrel attended Skidmore College, Colgate University and the Cranbrook Academy. He eventually moved to the Greek island of Paros to study classical ceramics, later returning to New York. He turned from pottery to sculpture, and is today best known for his monumental, often provocative outdoor sculptures. Since the 1970s, his large-scale work has dominated New York skylines, street corners, and public spaces throughout the Western world.