Joe Sorren: inspiring a new genre of art

Lowbrow is something that sprung up in the late 1970s in Los Angeles.

The populist, underground art movement was often called 'pop surrealism' and originally came about because LA was unrestrained from following any of the usual art rules that you'd often find in art meccas such as New York or Paris. Besides, LA could never compete with those places, hence the need to find its own way.

There's often a cheeky sense of humour to Lowbrow – sometimes gleeful, sometimes impish, and sometimes sarcastic. Today, Lowbrow continues thanks to the intriguing works of American artist Joe Sorren, who transports viewers into a mysterious world of odd, impish characters and imaginative environments with his illustrative oil paintings.

Sorren shows us that there are as much intrigue and mystery in the lighter elements of life as there are in the darker realities of humanity. This month, he will be showing at AFA of SoHo in New York City for "Knock Three Times", a new exhibition with 10 new paintings plus a collection of graphics including a new print entitled "Begin the Beguine". The event is free and open to the public. Watch the video below to hear more from the artist.

Share

Get the best of Creative Boom delivered to your inbox weekly