Exhibition Opening | Joe Sorren "The Great Cantaloupe Day"

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.  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.    IMAGE The Great Cantaloupe Day © Joe Sorren  Original: 30" x 30" acrylic on canvas  New Graphic: Signed, 24 x 24" paper size, 20 x 20" print size.  Edition of 100 + 10 Artist Proofs   AFA 54 Greene Street, NY NY 10013 Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10am - 7pm / Sundays 11am - 6pm RSVP / Phone: 212.226.7374 More information:  Samantha Levin / 212.226.7374

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH | Imaginary Surrealism Takes the Stage in SoHo

Although life in the circus depends on discipline, struggle and sacrifice, it is divergent thinking that is the catalyst for the magic. This show is dedicated to the performer and the double lives they must lead. A new collection of paintings by Daniel Merriam depicts both the pain and pleasure of struggle not only in the circus, but also in the lives we lead in an urban society. The artist invites us to explore the pressures and and delicate balance that is required in order to remain above the chaos of every day life.  Just as the performer clings to the wire above the ever-present color and distractions, so must the viewer avoid mistakes by focusing on what matters most. The exhibition was inspired by one painting that the artist created in 2010 entitled The Greatest Show on Earth, in which a fantastical caged beast is on display in a coach embellished with Victorian era accoutrements. The creature is exquisite and bizarre, and has a presence that seems content to have launched a show to pleasure and entertain the viewer. "It has been said by many artists that art is often the result of a struggle. I can attest to this based on years of devoting my abilities to an art form heavily reliant on discipline. Both the body and the mind are fully employed in such an effort.  In my case it is the urge to create ever upstaged challenges both in my paintings and my real life as well, that gets me from frenzy to frustration to exhaustion.  I strive to work sculpturally and architecturally as I paint. Each time the environment becomes more of an obstacle as I encounter the physical limitations inherent with being human." Born in 1963 in a rural town in Maine, Daniel Merriam is one of seven artistic children. He taught himself to paint at a very young age, and used his art as a method of reflective play throughout his childhood. He went on to study mechanical and architectural design at Central Maine Vocational Technical Institute. While still in school, he applied his dimensional skills and passion for architecture to his family's design and construction business.In 1986, Merriam shifted his focus solely to fine art, and later that year had his first solo exhibition in Maine. Since then, his exhibitions throughout the United States & Europe  have been lauded and achieved critical acclaim. Merriam's work is included in countless private collections and in such public collections as The Riverside Museum of Art in California, The Gesundheit! Institute in Virginia, the Manhattan Club in New York, and the Merrill Lynch collection. The artist will attend the unveiling of the new works at an opening reception on May 26th from 6 to 8 pm. The reception is free and open to the public with RSVP requested to rsvp@afanyc.com. AFA is located at 54 Greene Street (corner of Broome Street), in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. Hours are Monday - Saturday, 10am - 7pm and Sundays 11am - 6pm. To request more information contact Heidi Leigh at heidi@afanyc.com or 212.226.7374.

The Morrison Hotel Gallery Presents - Neal Preston

(c) Neal Preston

The Morrison Hotel Gallery

Presents

NEAL PRESTON

October 27, 2011, New York, NY - The Morrison Hotel Gallery in Soho is excited to present an exhibition of photography from the prolific Neal Preston. The exhibit will be open to the public beginning Friday, November 11th and Neal will be appearing at the gallery on Saturday, November 12th from 1 to 5 PM, which will be open to the public.  

 

This notable exhibition will feature classic photographs and also never-before-seen images from 40-year-old negatives that may not have otherwise been useable, but were salvaged using modern-day technology. Some of the photos even Neal himself had not yet seen - including The Doors, Janis Joplin and the MC5.

With a career that began in high school and continues to this day, Neal Preston's photographs have appeared in every conceivable media outlet - on the covers and pages of world-class magazines (People - as a major contributing photographer from 1979-2007, Time, Rolling Stone), in newspapers, books on TV, and  in countless record, CD and DVD covers. Through his longtime friendship with acclaimed director Cameron Crowe, Neal has provided photography and inspiration for such films as "Almost Famous", "Vanilla Sky" and the soon-to-be-released "We Bought A Zoo." His archive, a body of work spanning almost 4 decades, is regarded as one of the music industry's most extensive and significant photo collections.   

Preston has toured the world with the who's-who of rock royalty - Led Zeppelin, The Who, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, Heart, Billy Joel and more.  

Also a gifted sports photographer, Neal has covered six Olympic Games, from the 1984 Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia to the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy.  He has photographed major sporting events as varied as the World Series, NBA and NFL playoff games, World Cup soccer matches, and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Preston has been honored with a permanent exhibit at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and his images have also been on display at the Smithsonian, Yankee Stadium, Wembley Stadium, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.   

Of his second-ever New York showing at The Morrison Hotel Gallery, Preston says, "For this show, I'm busting out some of the 'greatest hits' along with some previously unseen gems that I've mined from my archives - most of them shot when I was still in high school. I want people to feel like they've uncovered a kind of cool rock-and-roll time capsule, which is exactly how I felt when I was bringing some of these photos back to life."

Having just celebrated it's 10th Anniversary, The Morrison Hotel Gallery was founded in 2001 by Peter Blachley, a former record company executive, producer Rich Horowitz, a former independent record store owner, and Henry Diltz, a legendary music photographer. The gallery has since grown to become a major brand in fine art music photography and is respected amongst peers and artists alike.