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Click here for
a short video of Joseph
Lorusso showing a new collection of contemporary figurative paintings.
Joseph Lorusso
Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1966 and
received his formal training at the American Academy of Art. He went on
to receive his B.F.A. degree from the Kansas City Art Institute. Born of
Italian descent, Lorusso was exposed to art at an early age. Through
several early trips to Italy, his parents introduced him to the works of
the Italian Masters. Lorusso would look to these influences throughout
his early artistic development and they are still evident in his work
today.
While in school, Lorusso majored in
watercolor and considers himself self-taught as an oil painter. He
learned to paint by studying the works of master painters, often losing
himself in the halls of the Chicago Art Institute during lunch hours,
which frequently turned into afternoons of self-study.
Joseph Lorusso creates landscapes and
figurative works. In painting these subjects, Lorusso has concentrated
on honing his powers of observation, especially as it concerns to color,
texture, form and composition. Lorusso’s paintings have been described
as warm and dreamlike, places of restful escape with a sense of
spirituality, and share timelessness with the works of other eras.
Discovering the works of the Impressionists, he
gravitated towards the works of Manet and Vuillard. Lorusso searched for
similar work of such emotion and soon became an avid student of
painting, seeking out and immersing himself in the works of various
artists. This path would ultimately lead him to the works of Sargent,
Sorolla, Whistler and a whole army of lesser-known yet equally capable
painters. Within this group of artists, Lorusso would find a sense of
identity. In these masterful works, he saw the power to harness emotion
and convey it with power and confidence, yet with delicacy and tasteful
restraint. He also saw in these artists the ability to express the
"essence” of an object with just a few carefully chosen brushstrokes,
creating a visceral and intuitive state of painting.
Says Lorusso, "I believe truly great art serves as a trigger into
something deeper within all of us". The mood and emotion conveyed in
Lorusso’s paintings evokes a deep sense of beauty found in the quiet
times of daily living. His people are mysterious, lonely, romantic and
yet familiar, placed in settings we often see ourselves. Lorusso’s
paintings have gained notoriety by their ability to connect with the
viewer, resonating in a way that is intimate and personal.
While in school, Lorusso was recruited by
Hallmark Cards, Inc. and from 1988 to 1999 served as an artist in their
greeting card division. Lorusso has served as instructor of painting and
drawing at the Kansas City Art Institute and the Scottsdale Artists
School.
Lorusso’s work has been shown
internationally and has won numerous awards and honors. He has been
featured in American Artist magazine, Southwest Art, U.S. Art, Art &
Antiques, The Artists Magazine, Art News, American Art Collector,
International Artist and Art Talk magazines. Lorusso’s work is part of
many private collections.
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