SUNY New Paltz Hosts Lecture by Painter Joe Sorren

NEW PALTZ — Click here to see selected works by Joe Sorren.

On Wednesday, March 28, 2001, artist Joe Sorren presents a lecture and slide show of his paintings. The lecture is held in Lecture Center room 112 at 7:30 PM and is free and open to all.

Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1970, Joe Sorren grew up around Phoenix and later Flagstaff, Arizona. He started painting in 1991 but admits — perhaps confesses to — being, “One of those annoying kids in class who was always drawing on something.” Searching for a way to support a growing family, he turned to painting, eventually earning a B.F.A. at Northern Arizona University. He has continued to paint for a living since.

The characters Sorren colors to life soon found themselves lining the walls of group showings up and down the west coast. Sorren’s work has also appeared in solo shows at galleries in and around Los Angeles.

Sorren paints mostly in acrylic, though sometimes in pencil and crayon, and creates delicate, muted, inarguably beautiful work. The paintings exude a purity that comes directly yet surreptitiously from an incredible technique and mastery of the brush. Influenced by a variety of artists from Vermeer and Twombly to Jack Kerouac, Sorren is noticeably interested in the power than lies within stillness.

In 1997 and 1999, Sorren received gold medals from the Society of Illustrators of New York and Los Angeles competitions. His prized illustrations have appeared in publications such as Rolling Stone, Print, and The Los Angeles Times and have been used by Warner Brothers and Atlantic Records

For additional information on this and other arts events, call 845-257-3858. A complete list of events at SUNY New Paltz is available on the web at http://hawk.newpaltz.edu/events. Detailed information on upcoming arts events can also be found on the web at http://hawk.newpaltz.edu/artsnews. The Student Art Association, a member of the Student Association, sponsors the Art Lecture Series.

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