Danny Sobor uses archival source images and pop culture motifs to unpack contemporary culture and anxieties. In his latest exhibition, Icons at tchotchke gallery in NYC, Sobor examines media consumption, technology, and faith through absurdist compositions of disjointed, yet meaningful, references to his life. In a recent interview with Peggy, Sobor says “I had fun with this show mashing together a lot of different image sources: 80’s fashion ads, soviet war cartoons, vector icons, stock photos of doves, ceramic figurines. A mirror of my recent browsing history.”

Read the full interview below.

What does your typical work day look like?

I start with a big thermos of black tea and paint for the first three hours of the day, it’s when I’m sharpest. Good time for editing from the night before and getting writing done too. I’ll take a long walk when the sun changes mid-day, at least an hour maybe two. That’s probably the best time for visions, my brain is in painting mode and the walk gives it space. A good time to think clearly about future works. When the sun sets I paint more fluidly, anytime from 9pm to 2am is my least inhibited. Music gets louder at this point too. If I can get a full 10-12 hours of painting in I’m really happy, I can keep at this clip for about four days before needing a day off to recharge.

How do you describe your art to someone who hasn’t seen it before?

Rendered with intimacy, in my application of paint something psychic is happening that makes my works more than a photo painting. Like the photo or mockup is a roadmap for expression. With Icons, I’m using elements of decorative painting like fun colors and pop compositions to sneak in my anxieties about the future.

How do you choose your reference images?

I keep thousands of images in folders of varying organization on my laptop. I fall in love with some; some possess me. I source from anywhere I can: magazine scans, my own photos, phone screenshots, forum posts, google, and stock photo sites. I scroll through folders looking for things that stick out, it’s different all the time which is interesting to me. The nature of net images is massive and sprawling and free, when I find something great it’s like an archaeological discovery. I had fun with this show mashing together a lot of different image sources: 80’s fashion ads, soviet war cartoons, vector icons, stock photos of doves, ceramic figurines. A mirror of my recent browsing history.

What's a piece of theory you return to when thinking about your artwork?

I read a lot of CCRU (Cybernetic Culture Research Unit) writing a few years ago, it strongly influenced this show. They were an experimental academic group working in England in the mid 90’s that used cyberpunk fiction and creative writing to get at denser philosophical issues surrounding the future. I like that the writing is wild and freewheeling and chaotic while touching on issues of accelerating tech advancements and the role AI could play in the next decades. It’s a lot less stodgy than typical critical theory and I tried to bring a similar ethos to these works.

What significance does text play in your artwork?

I like thinking of images as open-ended portals and try to avoid text whenever I can.

Do you collect art?

I have a small collection right now, the most pieces I have are by one of my favorite painters: Darius Airo.

Any other notes you would like to add?

I hate being catfished by paintings, like when they look good on phone screens but whack in person. What I’m proudest about in Icons is how the pieces look in real life and I strongly encourage anyone who can to see the show while it’s up!