Artist Biography - Bill Sortino
Bill Sortino graduated from Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut. He worked as a professional photographer and studied painting under Alex Zarick in the 1970s. Zarick encouraged Sortino to ultimately shift from professional photography to painting. In 1982, Bill moved permanently to New Mexico from New York City. Though he has had formal art training, Billl considers himself to be largely self-taught, stating "I believe that whether you attend art school or not, the true artist has to be self-taught. You can learn about the technical aspects of making art, and that is the value of art school. But, in the long run (and for the long run) we all must explore the various medium for years so that we can meld who we are with our chosen medium. Then, the flow of creativity can become personal, in a very impersonal way, for both the artist and viewer"
Sortino's recent works are abstract in style and deeply integrated with his poetry.
