Denver, CO
Saks Galleries, August 1-31
This story was featured in the August 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art August 2014 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!
Artist Joseph Lorusso is fond of telling stories. In one recent painting a woman stares longingly at a man from across a table at a café. In another painting two men look out onto the landscape from a boxcar door on a train. In a third painting a woman relaxes on a sofa and reads her favorite poem. A Lorusso scene can evoke mystery, romance, and even a touch of nostalgia. Viewers wonder, “What are the figures thinking and what emotions are they feeling?”
This month Saks Galleries features the Missouri-based painter as its Artist of the Month, part of an ongoing series spotlighting gallery artists. In conjunction with the event, Lorusso presents a lecture and demonstration on the art of storytelling on August 1. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes light refreshments and the opportunity to view 10 new Lorusso paintings. “Joseph has a vision that our lives are works of art. The relationships of the figures on his canvases are informed by color, design, and the surroundings,” says Mikkel Saks, gallery owner. “As viewers of his works, we know that Lorusso’s picture stories are, in fact, reflections of our own lives and desires to be in harmony with our world. This is precisely the reason why a great painting inspires us in the same way we might be inspired by a great written story.”
Lorusso’s visual tales can capture quiet moments in time or ones where figures are completely engaged in an activity that ranges from watching a horse race to playing a horn in a jazz ensemble. The artist invites viewers to bring their own interpretations to the narratives he creates. But one of his artistic missions is to convey the mood, atmosphere, and emotion found in daily lives. Although Lorusso also paints landscape works, he is best known for his intimate figurative works that connect with his viewers in provocative, personal ways. “I believe truly great art serves as a trigger into something deeper within all of us,” Lorusso says. —Bonnie Gangelhoff
contact information
303.333.4144
www.saksgalleries.com
Featured in the August 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art August 2014 print issue or digital download Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!
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