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Karl Hofmann: Shapeshifters & Headspace

February 11, 2019 – May 19, 2020

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A close-up image of an artwork composed of an array of organic, wall mounted pieces of painted wood with bright-colored LEDs shining from behind, installed in the lobby of the Albuquerque Museum.

Karl Hofmann, Shapeshifters (detail), 2019, various woods, wood glue, paint, fishing line, shop clamps, various hardware, LED strips

A sculpture composed of thin strips of wood, brightly painted panels, and LEDs hung from the ceiling of the Albuquqerque Museum lobby by fishing wire.

Karl Hofmann, Headspace, 2019, various woods, wood glue, paint, fishing line, shop clamps, various hardware

A sculpture composed of thin strips of wood, brightly painted panels, and LEDs hung from the ceiling of the Albuquqerque Museum lobby by fishing wire.

Headspace (installation view)

An artwork composed of an array of organic, wall mounted pieces of painted wood with bright-colored LEDs shining from behind, installed in the lobby of the Albuquerque Museum.

Shapeshifters

A picture taken of night of a wall-mounted work composed of organic-shaped pieces of work, illuminated from behind by colorful LEDs.

Shapeshifters (detail)

Albuquerque Museum’s Visiting Artist program is generously funded by the Frederick Hammersley Fund for the Arts at the Albuquerque Community Foundation.

Karl Hofmann builds large-scale installations that turn every-day materials into abstract spectacles of shape, color and light. His site-specific structures transform spaces by bringing together built forms that seemingly defy gravity. Utilizing boards, plywood, and various types of hardware and lighting, Hoffman “builds” paintings. His three-dimensional works are in conversation with the processes of two-dimensional painting as he continually works to resolve issues that a painter grapples with including light and shadow, perspective, and balance.

Hofmann’s creative practice involves a certain level of improvisation. Each decision in his process reflects on the one before and influences the next. While he begins each installation with a specific plan, his projects tend to take on a life of their own as the materials and the physical place impact the finished work. Hofmann describes his approach as an intuitive conversation between the materials and the space in which the work is being installed.

According to the artist, “I work to harness the potential beauty I find inherent in everyday things and enhance and distort those qualities through a process that involves drawing, collecting materials, shaping and painting and finally intuitively composing. I am attuned to the way that our world is composed of deep patterns hidden under the surface details. Like an ecosystem, my work relies on the careful integration of many parts to form a coherent, interlinked whole.”

Driven by the artist’s practice of drawing and painting, Shapeshifters included elements of color through light. According to Hofmann, "Experiments with backlighting with LED strips led to a stylistic breakthrough. Overcoming technical challenges was worth the effort for me as the slowly shifting colors have a subtle effect during the day and dramatically describes the shapes as the light gets low in the evening.”  

Headspace was based on a concept that Hofmann had been working out for several years. This work sought to find a delicate balance between order and chaos while exploring shape, color, and line. Headspace​ was transparent about the material and processes used to create the work, but it also offered a space--literally and figuratively--for the imagination to wander.  According to Hofmann, “Emotionally, my process is a spiritual surrender driven by dreaming and the unconscious.  I am inspired by the odd beauty of being present in the world.”

The installation was a unique, one-time artwork that will never be replicated. Hofmann’s artworks are different every time and exist only temporarily. As a result, the viewer entered into an experience that was fleeting in nature.

A black-and-white headshot of artist Karl Hofmann, a man with light-colored skin, short, dark hair, and stubble, pictured smiling in front of a grey background.

About the Artist

Karl Hofmann (born 1975 Grand Rapids, Michigan; lives Albuquerque, New Mexico) has a background in painting both in natural and in urban environments. He is interested in exploring the ways that light and shadow expose surprising combinations of shape, form, color and texture. Hofmann holds a BFA from the University of Michigan and an MFA from the University of New Mexico. His work has been the recipient of numerous awards and is in several collections.

Karl Hofmann's Website