Joe Sorren: The Great Cantaloupe Day
"...it's like hanging out with the most magnificent creatures, sometimes small, sometimes big, sometimes mean, always fleeting." ~ Joe Sorren about his paintings
Exhibition dates: February 24 through March 31, 2013
Opening reception for the artist: February 24, 2013, 6 - 9pm
AFA of SoHo presents a collection of new paintings and sculpture by Joe Sorren, accompanied by a retrospective of more than 30 graphics, plus three new releases. This exhibition marks the beginning of AFA's exclusive representation of Mr. Sorren's artwork in New York, New Orleans and France.
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| The Overture and Into the Light, Lost |
Mr. Sorren's fluid and expressive brush strokes convey deep care. His compositions are soft and soothing, and invite the viewer to explore deeply emotional subjects within hazy and dreamlike landscapes.
Mr. Sorren allows his artworks to evolve naturally and subconsciously. During the months and sometimes years that it takes for a painting to manifest, as new layers of paint are added, a figure may develop into a hill in a landscape, or perhaps a tree morphs into into a creature.
Current developments in Mr. Sorren's painting style evince a new manner of gravitas not seen in his earlier compositions. Recent works are more abstract, using less contrasting forms with a lighter palette. They play with a more shallow depth-of-field, highlighting the tender faces and gestures of his signature figures.
Joe Sorren was born in 1970 in Chicago, IL. He was raised in Arizona and spent his childhood drawing on anything and everything that didn't move. After he earned a BFA from Northern Arizona University in 1993, he worked as the creative director for Transworld Snowboarding Magazine while raising his two children Martha Elaine and Henry Vincent. His first solo exhibition took place shortly afterwards in 1995 in Los Angeles. For the past 15 years since, he has shown his artwork in solo exhibitions in galleries and museums in the United States and abroad. His artwork has appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, TIME and Rolling Stone, in addition to numerous cover stories in art publications, such as Juxtapoz. He has been awarded several coveted accolades, including a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators in New York, and a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators in Los Angeles. His first museum retrospective was held in Santa Ana in 2010, and his most recent book, Joe Sorren: Painting + Sculpture (2004-2010), was released in conjunction with that same exhibition. Currently working from his studio in New York City, Joe relies on a skateboard to get around town and has a serious love for telling duck jokes.
