101PREVIEWas rememory, All during the Maple-
Leaf Rag, and you in there?, all of
which showcase his exaggerated
figure design and his sumptuous
colors. “The distortions my figures
find themselves in is a result of my
working method. When I paint, I
never come to the canvas with
a preconceived idea, let alone
sketches,” he says. “I just begin
and follow and hunt, turning over
stones and turning shovels into
frogs until the narrative begins to
present itself. It is a slow process
that feels more like an adventure
than a ‘rendering,’ if you know what
I mean. As a result, everything is
in play, trying hard not to rely on
preconceived notions, which often
leads to distortions in concept as
well as form.”
In conduct, Sorren paints two
joyful figures amid the details of
a room, including a piano, a lightpointing into the picture and
various smaller items decorating
the edges. “All of the paintings
have fallen into place to create
a sort of narrative for this show,”
the artist says. “[conduct] is the
second in the story, where the main
character finds herself presented
with the beautiful gravity that our
memories often carry.”
Sorren’s show continues through
December 3 in Los Angeles.41
rememory, oil on canvas,
29 x 23½"
2
there you go (looks like
it’s just us for a while,
flowers), oil on canvas,(^43) ¹⁄₃ x 43¹⁄₃"
3
conduct, oil on canvas,
32¼ x 39¹⁄₃"
4
there you are, oil on
canvas, 31½ x 31½"