Marisa Adesman unsettles domestic stability by twisting common sights into the surreal in her luminous oil paintings.
A couple of Soay sheep, the only inhabitants of Main Street these days.
Isn't this an evocative image? It's something in that muted, mystical background. Evocative= reminiscent, suggestive, remindful, stirring, kindling, reawakening. It's the sentiment that takes you...
But Somewhere out there someone is building their paradise via via via via a y...
Once upon a time, about a decade ago, I came across a picture of Joe Sorren's "La Luna," and had a bit of an epiphany. It was the first painting emerging from the lowbrow movement that plucked at strings somewhere deep within me — the luminosity, spookiness, aching-yearning and deep, thrumming palette left me breathless. I've looked at that picture thousands of times since, and never tire of it. Since then, Joe has evolved his aesthetic fearlessly, exploring his passion for color and texture, and performing intuitive alchemy with his improvisational compositions. So I'm thrilled to report that in anticipation of his retrospective exhibit, "Interruption," which opens at Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana on November 6th, Joe was kind enough to do a little interview with me. "Interruption" "Interruption" (detail) "Interruption" (detail) Erratic Phenomena: You were born in Chicago in 1970, but grew up in the drier climes of Phoenix and Flagstaff. Tell me a bit about the atmosphere of your childhood. Were you a dreamer or an adventurer? Were there moments of wonder and beauty that you look back upon now as the genesis of your vision? Joe Sorren: Well, I grew up in the deserts outside of Phoenix, and spent most days either swimming, playing in ditches or skateboarding. As far as inspiration, from the 220 crickets we caught in one evening, to the hobbit-holes that still dent the landscape, Leigh, Jason, Vinnie —the whole slew of us — grew up in a situation that invited imagination, I think. "Given the Difference Between 1 & 2" "Given the Difference Between 1 & 2" (detail) "Given the Difference Between 1 & 2" (detail) EP: As a child, you drew incessantly. How did drawing make you feel when you were a kid? JS: HA! I did draw on everything growing up, I couldn't help it. But it wasn't that I enjoyed drawing certain things — I remember thinking how strange it was that certain kids kept drawing cars, or monkeys, or whatever. I just enjoyed drawing what needed to be drawn for the drawing. "Astraea" (2007) EP: Were there books you encountered as a child that may have influenced the direction you took in life, and in your work? JS: I loved the Frances series growing up, and Babar, and well, any sort of book that featured an animal, I suppose. Then eventually MAD came in and it was all over. "The Mushroom Hunter" EP: Unlike most of your contemporaries, when you begin a new painting, you try to keep yourself completely open to where the painting wants to go. You've often quoted your mother-in-law's saying, "If you lead with your hands, the mind will follow." There are no preliminary sketches, just an intuitive exploration of color, shape, composition and light that becomes more refined as the painting progresses, but maintains its fluidity throughout. When you think a painting is done, you give it some time to breathe, and revisit it only after some time has passed, to make sure it still sings. This approach, which I might liken to the way a composer would build a symphony, seems to foster a greater tendency toward evolution and risk-taking than the more staid approach of most representational painters. It also seems to relate a bit to the pattern-finding you've engaged in since childhood, when you first started inventing compositions out of random forms in stucco and wallpaper. What do you see as the advantages of letting a painting find itself? JS: In college, the great Marshall Arisman visited my university (Northern Arizona University), and in his lecture he talked about the value, the importance, of first thought — or rather, the first incarnation of a valued thought — and I believed him. Painting is kind of like playing tag with ideas, through landscapes of idiocy. "The Secret Collapse of Miss Lorraine" "The Secret Collapse of Miss Lorraine" (detail) EP: When you are finished with a painting, is it sometimes still shrouded in mystery, or have you by that time formed a strong sense of what the piece is about, even if it's not one you'd care to share with anyone else? JS: I feel like I have learned, at least, what the questions are by the time I have finished a painting. "In Bloom" "In Bloom" (detail) "In Bloom" (detail) EP: Until 2003, you worked exclusively in acrylics. Then you began to pick up oils, with which you have discovered a heightened sense of the space between the viewer and the subject, and the light traveling through that space. Tell me a bit about the qualities that you try to depict inhabiting that space, and what emotional and aesthetic value they hold for you. JS: It's funny, I feel like there is a "wrong" answer to this question for some reason, but I suppose what that question is getting at is,"What is in that space?," and I believe it is "God" that is in those spaces. Not God as a person, but God in a being-throughout-space-governing-but-not-really-aware-or-even-in-control-of-anything-more-like-seeing-the-beauty-of-the-universe-and-what-THAT-means, etc., sort of way. "Anthologia" (2001) EP: Of late, you have begun to integrate that evocative delicacy of light and atmosphere with elements rendered in a gorgeous, meaty impasto, a feat that few artists have the courage to attempt. JS: I think Monet was great for his bravery. I think Rembrandt and Michelangelo were too, because they displayed a fearlessness in art worth witnessing. From Degas' satin to Twombly's tremors, the vital moment is why paintings matter, no matter how they are treated, don't you think? (Joe then sighs and thinks to himself, "Ahh... Turner.") "The Luthier" (2007) EP: Music and art have gone hand in hand throughout your life. For over two decades now, you've been close friends with fellow painter/musician Lyle Motley, with whom you have performed in the bands Creepy Lyle and The Lyle and Sparkleface Band. How has your ongoing engagement with making music influenced your evolution as a painter? JS: The feeling of creation is similar, but one leaves a stain. "Corrina" (2006) EP: In 2002, you began experimenting with sculpture, and in anticipation of your next show, you have recently been working in collaboration with Jud Bergeron on a series of eight new sculptures. Tell me a bit about your relationship with Jud — an inventive sculptor in his own right. JS: Working with Jud is like working with a rhino. The guy is non-stop go with ideas falling out all around him. I am still waiting for a conversation that doesn't end with a laugh and a kind word. "Headlong" (with Jud Bergeron) EP: For the past three years, you have chosen not to exhibit, outside of the occasional group show. Why did you take such a long hiatus from exhibiting? JS: It's funny, it's a natural pattern. I showed in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, so I think it's in line with how it goes. For the future, Eric White and I are planning a show at the Dorothy Circus Gallery in the fall of 2011. "Exile" "Exile" (detail) "Exile" (detail) EP: What painter from the past moves you most powerfully, and what aspects of their work do you find most profound? JS: I like the quiet tension found in the work of the famous Dutch painters. "Secrets Know No Morning" EP: If you could hang just one famous artwork from history on the wall of your studio, what would it be? JS: Michaelanglo's "Pietà," but not on the wall. "Tryst" "Tryst" (detail) "Tryst" (detail) Don't miss Joe Sorren's retrospective exhibit "Interruption" at Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana, which opens on November 6th. It will coincide with the release of his new book, Joe Sorren: Paintings 2004-2010. You can enjoy his earlier work in his books In Celebration of Balance and Opposable Thumbs and When She Was Camera. "La Luna" (1998)
Have you ever stopped to think about how we describe pain? It's a curious thing, isn't it? We often resort to metaphors to convey the intensity and complexity
A very evocative painting, by Frederick William Burton. ‘The Meeting on the Turret Stairs’ is one of the better-known works of Frederic William Burton. The theme comes from a medieval Danish ballad which describes how Hellelil fell in love with Hildebrand, Prince of Engelland, one of her twelve personal guards. Her father orders his seven sons to kill him. They stood at the door with spear and shield: ‘Up Lord Hildebrand! out and yield!’ He kissed me then mine eyes above:- ‘Say never my name, thou darling love’ Out of the door Lord Hildebrand sprang; Around his head the sword he swang. Hildebrand kills her father and six brothers before Hellelil intercedes to save the youngest. Hildebrand dies of his wounds and Hellelil herself dies shortly afterwards. Burton did not choose a violent episode and instead freely interpreted the story, placing their farewell on the turret stairs and leaving the reason for it to the imagination. His invention of the kiss on the woman's outstretched arm and the lack of eye contact adds to the poignancy of the painting. Explanatory text from the National Gallery of Ireland, via the Clare County Library and the Art Blog. (BTW - interesting use of "swang" for the past tense.) Addendum: A hat tip to "C," who notes that this painting has recently been voted "Ireland's Favorite Painting." A public vote promoted by RTÉ’s competition to find the nation’s favourite painting over the past five weeks found that the Frederic William Burton piece, which hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland, polled most preferences. One in five of those who voted (22 per cent) went for the romantic 19th century depiction of a young soldier stealing an illicit kiss from his beloved as they pass on a turret stair. Burton was from Corofin, Co Clare. The other paintings in the competition are posted here. Addendum #2: Lots of information about the painting in the Sept/Oct 2012 issue of History Ireland, e.g.: All the preliminary studies show a medieval tower as the setting for the picture; the direction of the stairs is accurate in being clockwise, like an Irish tower-house, just as the view is correctly taken from a chamber doorway looking towards the stairs. The artist was vigilant about accuracy, incorporating a late medieval loop window made of a narrow vertical slit in the wall, splayed on the interior so that it could be used by archers... The figure of Hellelil draws especial attention, her elongated back view emphasising the costume, with only a glimpse of the face and outstretched arm. The particular shade of deep blue was also used in Burton’s The Child Miranda (1864). The gown appears made of fine wool, with long hanging sleeves fringed in fur, fitted with a tight bodice down to the hips, creating an elegant outline majestically folding into an extremely full skirt, both the sleeves and gown lined in white fur. The decorative girdle about her waist is of a generic late medieval type, its band interspersed with a sequence of bronze buckles, linked so that it could move with ease on the hips. Wound around her golden hair are mauve ribbons that end with the hair woven into a mauve toggle, tucked into the belt...
a Temple-theater complex discovered only at the beginning of the 2000s in Monte San Nicola, in Pietravairano of Caserta province. Lying at 410 meters high in the Sannio area, dates back to the late Roman Republican period, 2nd-1st century BC.
bonitavista: Vorselaar Castle, Belgium photo via martha (via thisivyhouse)
La Collection D’antiquites 1910 Perfume/Eau de Parfum 100ml by Lattafa Pride is a fragrance that conjures a nostalgic ambiance and exudes timeless charm. Crafted with a harmonious blend of floral, fruity, and woody notes, this composition offers a captivating olfactory journey. With each application, immerse yourself in the evocative essence of days gone by, where every scent note harmonizes to create a truly captivating and memorable experience. Top Notes: Rose, Apple, DavanaMiddle Notes: Osmanthus, CedarwoodBase Notes: Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Patchouli
Barbara Tucker is one of the rare performers whose true gift is touching people in a most positive uplifting way. Barbara Tucker to House/Dance is ...
Embark on a captivating journey with Roman Angelos' Motorbike Journey - a mesmerizing exploration of nostalgia and wanderlust.
UK-based experimental pop artist Shygirl announces her debut full-length album Nymph due September 30th via Because Music.
Sleek evocative style meets a catchy and memorable rhythm with this evocative invention that's always top of mind in any industry. Possible uses: A streaming app. A decor and home interiors brand. A media production company. A logistics company.
Podgaric – Photograph by Jan Kempenaers Below you will find an incredible collection of photographs by Jan Kempenaers. All of the images are from his book, simply titled Spomenik. You …
Photo by Edouard Boubat, France 1947
Famed for her richly descriptive writing, the aristocratic Danish novelist Karen Blixen was also a passionate gardener who brought the same evocative sensibility to her beguiling bouquets.
Derived from "arctic", Arctu is a uniquely-crafted word that brings to mind images like frost and the tundra. It's highly evocative and a fantastic choice for businesses looking to inspire vivid imagery. Possible uses: Evokes vivid imagery. Attractive and memorable. Creative and distinct. Easily remembered
wasbella102:
LinkedIn is a strange place. No other site has seen such a rapid transformation from professional networking platform to social media page full of users exaggerating (or straight up lying) about personal experiences for clout. The site has become overrun with hustle-obsessed, “motivational” LinkedIn-fluencers, but lucky for us, there are plenty of people lurking who are ready to roast them for their content too.
1) Make the scene three-dimensional in the reader’s mind There is Flaubert’s rule that you need three particular things in the room for the room to become three-dimensional in the reader’s mind. So that if we establish this box of Kleenex, that bottle, and that lamp — not in one sentence, but over a few…
