10 Questions with Loren Myhre

Loren Myhre. Photo by Andrew Granstaff

Loren Myhre (American, born August 30, 1978) is a painter and sculptor living in Louisville, Kentucky. His art displayed loose thick brushwork and steel forms that were rooted in symbology. Myhre as of late has returned to image making that reintroduces figuration, landscape, and still life. Myhre retrieves ideas for his paintings from magazines, newspapers, and other photographic sources. He constructs the compositions for his paintings from these various collaged pictures and his own imagination. The subjects and scenarios that are most often depicted are moments of people and places on the outskirts of popular culture or customary civility.

In honor of Loren's solo exhibition at WheelHouse Art, Bread & Butter, we asked him to answer 10 questions for us to get to know him a little more.

Outside of art, what hobbies do you have or how do you like to spend your free time?

I enjoy wilderness backpacking/hiking and tagging freights 

What do you like to listen to while working in your studio?

Music is a constant inspiration for me in the studio. It’s pretty diverse as well. Leonard Cohen always guts me- recent plays have been Ed Askew, Sparklehorse, and the new gorgeous Caroline record.

Above: Detail from Angel Gone. Oil on canvas 55 x 64 inches

What is your favorite [book, movie, or television show]?

My favorite book is a collection of stories written for the New Yorker by Joseph Mitchell , Up In The Old Hotel. Bizarrely telling stories of city dwellers 

What is your favorite sport?

Basketball. I’m a diehard Knicks fan 

What is your favorite article of clothing?

Caps. I like a nice worn out work hat 

Above: Break Time. Oil on canvas, 22 1/4 x 30 1/4 inches

What is your quirkiest hidden talent?

I know a wealth of information about halter breaking cattle, raising sheep

Do you have a personal motto, mantra, or philosophy on life?

As it pertains to art making, l always told students who I taught observational drawing to; “Don’t try to describe the thing in front of you- rather, translate the thing in front of you to convince the viewer that; yes, this is in fact how the thing is and how it actually looks.”

What is one skill would you like to master?

I would love to make music- perhaps being proficient on a piano 

What is your favorite food/restaurant?

Ramen and Pho

Above: Take Out. Oil on canvas 42 x 42 inches.

What is at the top of your bucket list?

I’ve never gotten the opportunity to travel outside of the country. My top spots are Vietnam and Italy