The spirit of spring was in full force, or better yet, hopping all the way through Serge Sorokko's gallery for Hunt Sionam's latest show, "Quantum Leap." The space's stark-white walls, beamed with a kaleidoscope of colors, as the images of bunnies and butterflies frolicked through the canvases. The theme for this series came to him after he had discovered (in the early 1980's)
that the year of his birth, 1951, was the year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac calendar. He often repeats imagery because the act is similar to spiritual meditation: "Mantras are holy because you repeat them," he explained. This theme continued to inspire Slonem over the years, and the series is as prominent and relevant in his work today, as it was over thirty years ago. The paintings Swivel between the fantastic and the natural. As an artist, he endeavors to explore the many expressive faculties of color. His paintings are layered with thick brushstrokes of vivid color, often cut into in a cross-hatched pattern that adds texture to the overall surface of the painting. Slonem often hides his subjects "behind a grid of incised lines, blurring their contours and emphasizing the paint's tactile quality." This surface patterning combines with the rich colors and recognizable subject matter to create paintings that are physically and aesthetically rich-qualities which did not go unnoticed by the well-dressed patrons in attendance. Tatiana Sorokko (co-owner of the gallery) explained it best, "in my view he's one of the most important American pop-artists. Not only is his work beautiful, but it conjures up the spirit of joy, which is infections. He's also a genius with colors. If he were a fashion designer, he'd be like Yes Saint Laurent, himself, with several palettes."
His work has been exhibited globally, in well over thirty plus different museums (and still counting); yet San Francisco always holds a special place in his heart. "I have a fairly long history
with this city. As a child, my father was in the military and we were stationed in Vallejo. It's been with me ever since," he said with a broad smile.
