Glenn Sorensen

Sorensen greatly enjoys Japanese screens and the way their design constantly makes our eyes move. Then there is the simplicity of the designs, they are decorative, but yet very precise: nothing is unnecessary, there is a wonderful reduction at play. When one looks at 'Songbird', your eye gazes from the snake to the flowers and butterflies and back to the snake. No single object dominates the work and no single object could be missed. Sorensen paints subjects from his home environment: his children, his flowers and plants, the neighbours’ white garden gate, a CD cover. But here and there a snake slithers: as in a sweet nightmare a soft but sly subconscious is moving throughout his paintings, ready to strike. Sorensen does not go looking for his subjects, they present themselves to him of their own accord. With an affectionate eye for his surroundings Sorensen records his daily reality. The details of that reality inspire him to paint his works, which can be best described as curious studies of environment, moment and emotions, rather than as portraits or landscapes. In some paintings emptiness plays an important role, rendered in black or white. This abyss, which stands sharply in contrast with the subject, makes tangible an atmosphere of tranquillity in time and space. This peace, or inactivity, prevents the viewer from reaching unambiguous conclusions. The story has neither a beginning nor an end. Despite the attention to detail, the paintings of Glenn Sorensen conceal more than they show.