Joe Sorren – from Inside
Exhibition Dates: November 12th – December 10th, 2016
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 12th, 7 - 10pm
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12 – 6pm
RSVP Essential to rsvp@kpprojects.net // Guest List at the door
KP Projects Gallery is proud to present from Inside, the latest solo exhibition from Joe Sorren.
Drawing on the layered physicality of brushstroke and vibrant color pioneered by Post-Impressionists, Sorren captures the romantic energy of swirling brush strokes with contemporary nuances to convey his feelings and state of mind in narrative form. Using layers of paint sometimes 5 layers deep, the internal energy of the artist and characters emerge from the paint itself; a nod to the exhibition’s title.
Process is intensely important in Sorren’s work. Working directly onto canvas without sketches, each painting radiates an adventurous spirit that often parallels the inquisitive journeys of the characters within. In “There You Go”, a small boy releases his pet fish into the swirling whirlpool of the wild while “from Inside” features a crimson haired girl exploring the river, rocks and floral blooms of an emerald hued cave. By allowing the paint and color to dictate the fluid nature of artistic process, and nature itself, Sorren’s style is at once immediate, vulnerable and sentimental.
“When approaching this body of work, I was interested in playing with the dichotomy between application of paint as well the imagery that evolves from that application. Because brushstrokes are tiny recordings of energy and intent with that energy, I became fascinated with the push-pull that this can establish. Once you begin to work with this dynamic, you find that the work can display another level of communication, that, in all but the most aggressive passages, remains a subconscious informant.” – Joe Sorren
Below the surface, an impassioned tenderness permeates the ethereal subject matter. Empathy and innocence emanate from the faces and gestures of Sorren’s characters, lending a distinct sincerity to his work.
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Joe Sorren’s surreal oil paintings and illustrations depict stylized, cartoonish characters in dreamlike settings that evoke the Pop Surrealism of 1970s Los Angeles. Working in a muted, but luminous, palette, Sorren paints with impressionistic brushstrokes that create soft textures. Recently, Sorren has drawn inspiration for his foreboding paintings based on the experience of living through Hurricane Sandy in New York City in 2012. Sorren currently lives and works in Madrid.
Dorian Vallejo – Forward With No Sound At All
Exhibition Dates: November 12th – December 10th, 2016
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 12th, 7 - 10pm
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12 – 6pm
RSVP Essential to rsvp@kpprojects.net // Guest List at the door
KP Projects is proud to present Forward With No Sound At All, the latest exhibition from Dorian Vallejo.
In his newest body of work, Vallejo explores the intimate spaces of conscious and unconscious existence using the female figure as a symbolic metaphor for beauty. Dreaming women are overlain with geometric shapes or delicate flora. Vallejo’s work is tinged with a Baudelarian romanticism of contemporary life and a constant curiosity with the world around him.
Several of Vallejo’s works also engage the dichotomy of serenity and chaos. A solitary figure stands among piles of books, clothes and shoes, seemingly unaware of the disheveled room around them.
Other works explore a sense of personal introspection. Floating in a womblike bubble and surrounded by an oceanic current, figures explore the psychological space between our dreaming and waking realities.
The undercurrent of this exhibition is a fascination with the randomness of life and our individual experiences. Vallejo strengthens this poetic reflection on the nature of existence with his undeniable painterly technique and ability to capture the quiet spaces inbetween.
“I explore several areas of interest with my paintings and drawings. The common thread uniting it all is an appreciation for the poetry and wonder of life. With some work I'm visually exploring the fractured nature of thought as we move through moments of time. In other work, my interest lies within the internal labyrinth of our own making and our ability to navigate that journey. Other pieces show my intrigue with the abundant nature of our modern lives. Another theme focuses on the duality of our existence, our dream states; the conscious and unconscious realms of existence.” – Dorian Vallejo
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Born into an artistic family, (with artist father Boris Vellejo), Dorian Vallejo’s career began in his late teens when he began illustrating book covers while attending the School of Visual Arts in New York. As the field increasingly began to incorporate the use of computer-generated images, Vallejo felt the need to pursue other avenues with his art. His love of traditional media and the figure, drew him to portraiture and to focus on personal work, which shows in galleries.
