Mike McSorley art exhibit continues thru April 24 in Wilmington

Out of the Ordinary, a solo exhibition of work by Milford artist Mike McSorley, remains on view through Friday, April 24, at the Delaware Division of the Arts’ Mezzanine Gallery, located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French St., Wilmington.

McSorley’s work is rooted in a long-standing admiration for everyday objects and a sensitivity for the mundane. Filling school notebook margins with three-dimensional drawings, and photographing wheels and sewage pumps at age 8, McSorley’s early fascination with overlooked subjects shaped a practice defined by close observation. Over time, the act of attributing personality and life to people, places and objects matured into a genuine empathy that pervades his work. For McSorley, every subject has a spirit that comes from its conception.

The paintings in Out of the Ordinary continue his focus on still-life objects drawn from his home and surrounding environment. McSorley approaches each work as an act of respect for the creative process – distressing and then re-creating the painted image in order to locate the life an object possesses. His most common method begins with graphite, which is drawn onto the surface and brushed around with thinner. Background color is then blocked in, pulling the graphite into the paint and using it to darken and tone the edges. The resulting layer is thin enough for the ground of the board to reflect through, increasing color intensity. Brushing, scraping and rubbing further accent the surface, and the graphite layer sometimes remains visible in the finished work.

The Mezzanine Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Admission is free.