TYLER SORGMAN
MFA ’26 Fine Arts Low-Residency
I am a painter and collage artist who creates portal-like spaces that feel both uncanny and alluring. My color palettes are vibrant and playful, and imagery of bunny rabbits, stars, and party banners run throughout my scenes. While the work is whimsical on the surface, there is an eeriness that emerges as spiraling vortexes threaten to pull the viewer into the void. These vortexes speak to the spiraling of anxious thoughts that accompany severe mental illness. They often take on the connotation of a rabbit hole, which is a place where we find ourselves getting lost in an obsessive pursuit. The rabbit is both a tragic figure and symbol of resilience in my work. As a prey animal, it lives its life constantly on alert for danger. This is metaphorical of battles with mental illness, as well as navigating our current political climate as a queer person. I am exploring the fracturing of the familial unit that accompanies chronic illness, and the toll that it takes on loved ones who play a supporting role in this struggle
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Tyler Sorgman (b. 1993) is a Boston area artist and educator who works in painting and mixed media collage. He creates whimsical and uncanny scenes drawn from personal narratives around themes of mental illness, isolation, and resilience. Sorgman has exhibited his work throughout the Boston area, and his work is included in numerous private collections. He received his BFA in painting and MA in Studio Teaching from Boston University and is a current MFA candidate at The Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
