Hans Hofmann may be th emost important figure in the development of Abstract Expressionism as well as Contemporary Art in general. He trained so many, gave so many artists breaks, allowed for the development of new styles and techniques within a world that had not yet been even slightly explored. His style was stripped down to the point of absolute perfection shining through. "The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak" he once said. And with all that in my head, this is, by far, the dullest Hofmann I have ever seen. There is nothing here. It is an attempt at Mondrian that failed. A pass at Fernand Leger or Stuart Davis that slipped too far away. A cubist work without time present. There is nothing here, and while Hofmann, a favorite of mine, often breaks through, takes his shapes and turns them loose on a canvas that may not be ready for them, here, there is nothing.
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Your HostChristopher J Garcia - Curator, Fan Writer, Podcaster, and a guy who just loves art. Archives
February 2019
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