GLENN SORENSEN

Absence (in the form of black) brings a visual crispness to Sorensen’s pictures. The edges are often hard, sharpened up, almost cut out. The process of singling out and zooming in on the minute detail of a thing intensifies its significance and bestows an aura of mysticism. The high level of focus shifts the imagery from the mundane to monumental in a way that recalls traditional still-life painting. Against these deep, dark backgrounds, Sorensen’s intuitive sense of placement is paramount; a pair of delicate petunias sitting low on the canvas in Low Petunia (2012) evokes a sombre mood whereas the white lilies in Star Eyed (2012) stand proudly near the top of the canvas.

Sorensen’s brush is often quiet – not everything is revealed. Generous sections of black or white cloak or disrupt possible narratives. Instead, there is a sense of ambiguity to the paintings that allows for textured meanings. A snake on the cusp of action; a man gestures ambiguously; a young child’s mood is indeterminate. The paintings are in this way problematic, but there is also a wonderful sense of theatricality to the compositions. In Sorensen’s highly focused pictures the tiny moments in life are heightened – soulful dramas of the minute.

Olivia Sophia