NEW YORK, NY.- Anna Zorina Gallery is presenting Lost In A Dream, Robert Pokorny’s first solo exhibition with the Gallery. The show features the artist’s latest series of paintings inspired by the majestic beauty of the California Desert. Each work displays a dynamic interplay of abstraction, figuration and landscape that coalesce into Pokorny’s unique style of playful and contemplative surrealism.

A distinctive feature throughout Pokorny’s compositions is the presence of sculptural and uncannily corporeal characters that inhabit and embody the imagined landscapes. The paintings capture visions of pareidolia by representing the whimsical ability to find specific images within ambiguous patterns such as those seen in cloud formations or rock faces. The artist conveys a human desire to find oneself reflected in an idyllic natural world.

“The California desert has been an escape for me. It is a place of transformation with its cosmic energy, open skies and Zen like landscapes and it became my inspiration for these paintings. There is a force in the desert that I wanted to convey, a spiritual, serene state where dualities meet and introspection occurs.”

In this dreamlike setting, Pokorny delves into a sensory experience that questions the perception of reality. The artist echoes Descartes' philosophical exploration of doubt and reality, as notably presented in Meditations on First Philosophy challenging the distinction between waking life and dreams, suggesting that our senses can deceive us to the point where we cannot be certain whether we are awake or dreaming. Pokorny’s landscapes, although inspired by the physical allure of the California Desert, are transformed through his surreal lens to be as mutable and interpretive as our dreams.

Robert Pokorny (b. 1969, Merced, CA) earned a BA (1992) and MFA (2011) from California State University in Long Beach and has presented his work in numerous exhibitions since 2006. Most recently, he has had solo exhibitions at Steve Turner, Los Angeles (2023), NBB Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2023), Johansson Projects, Oakland (2021) and Ampersand, Portland (2020 & 2019). He has also had solo presentations at art fairs including Expo Chicago (2022) and CAN Art Fair, Ibiza (2022). Pokorny has been featured in Amadeus Magazine, Art Maze Magazine, Arte Al’ Limite, Cool Hunting, Juxtapoz, Maps, Sound & Vision Podcast and Voyage LA.