Art theory article about art theory by the free dictionary. The nature of abstraction offers a fresh and revealing assessment of the artists prolific and innovative painterly career. Hans hofmann fermented soil 1965 oil on canvas, 122 x 152 cm modern masters from the smithsonian american art museum telfair. Make offer hans hofmann miles mcenery gallery book. The comprehensive exhibition and accompanying catalogue will feature approximately seventy paintings and works on paper by hofmann from 1930 through the end of his life in 1966, including works from. Find more prominent pieces of abstract at best visual art database. In 1957 another was mounted at the whitney museum of american art. Goreys great simple theory about art which he has never tried to communicate to anybody else until now, so prepare for severe bafflement, that on the surface they are so obviously those situations that it is very difficult to see that they really are about something else entirely. Free art books page, has a large collection of free artists reference works on oil painting, watercolor painting and other artists techniques. Art the easiest way to buy and sell art online safely. Logan art institute medal and prize at the art institute of chicago, awarded to him for the painting the golden wall, which was included in the 66th annual american exhibition. Hans hofmann 1880 1966 artists miles mcenery gallery. This school opened when hofmann was 35 years old, this was his first attempt at teaching art. A very short introduction very short introductions kindle edition by freeland, cynthia.
His career also traces the transatlantic engagement of modern painting with the materials of its own making, a relationship that is perhaps still not completely understood. The internet may be rife with lists of books every artist must read, but a new set of book recommendations verso books is a fresh take on the usual required reading. Celebrated for his exuberant, colorfilled canvases, and renowned as an influential teacher for generations of artists, hofmann became famous first in his native germany, then in new york and provincetown. Catalog one of the most important figures of the abstract expressionist movement, hans hofmann was also an influential teacher for generations of artistsboth in his native. Skip art school, this is essential reading about art aesthetics and critique. Hans hofmann s recognition increased in the early sixties. Estimated secondary market pricing will be provided if available but are not guaranteed to be accurate. He brought with him a deep knowledge of french art, gleaned from years spent in paris before world war i, and this proved crucial in spreading european modernist styles and ideas in the united states. The wind was created in 1944 by hans hofmann in action painting style. Although hans hofmann never joined the american abstract artists, he encouraged its membership and sent a letter of support when the organization was formally established. The section excerpts from the teaching of hans hofmann was composed of selections from his essays on the aims of art and plastic creation. In 1947, hofmann abandoned painting on board and began to use canvas.
A very short introduction cynthia freeland very short introductions profoundly refreshing and satisfying. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Some of the best material in the book is toward the back, where the author has collected a number of speeches and articles by the artist himself in which he elucidates his theories about color, design, and the nature of art. Art brokerage is the first online fine art brokerage. Hans hofmann spread european modernist styles and ideas in the united states, and his own work made a powerful contribution to abstract. Hofmanns influential writing on modern art have been collected in the book search for the real and other essays 1948, which includes his discussions of his pushpull spatial theories, his reverence for nature as a source for art, his conviction that art has spiritual value, and his philosophy of art in general. Frustrated by the limits of linear perspective, he introduced his pushandpull theory in order to create a more dynamic sense of space in his paintings, in which forms and colors appear to simultaneously advance and recede. Hans hofmann s art has the authority of pure vision. Hans hofmann forthcoming, in stock, and outofprint title information on museum exhibition catalogs, art monographs, and international books from the artbook d. The focus is on creating publications that unify innovative book design with relevant and inspiring texts. Provides the first truly comprehensive and international anthology of theory in contemporary art of the last two decades. Hans hofmanns fundamental laws of painting article on.
Published to accompany a retrospective of hofmann s work at the naples museum of art. He was heavily influenced in his later years by henri matisses ideas about color and form. He earned tremendous respect as an instructor working as a mentor to helen frankenthaler, ray eames, and lee krasner, as well as becoming close friends with jackson pollock. He was influenced by the innovations of modernists, picasso and matisse and later by kandinsky and delaunay. Theory in contemporary art since 1985 by zoya kocur. Brochure, with course description noting classes will be held in san pedro harbor, and excerpt from a speech by 2 hofmann at a dinner in his honor to the faculty and students of the university of california, berkeley. Hans hofmann 18801966 is one of the most important figures of american art in the 20th century. Hans hofmann 18801966 was a pivotal figure in abstract expressionism and stands as one of the most important characters of postwar american art.
While creative science is a mental food, art is the satisfaction of the soul. The addison gallery of american art organized a large retrospective of his work in 1948. The biographies of hundreds of important artists, teachers and innovators would not be complete without mentioning hofmann as a key inspiration. The classical conception of art as the imitation of nature was formulated by plato and developed by aristotle in his poetics, while modern thinkers such as immanuel kant, f. Celebrated for his exuberant, colorfilled canvases, and renowned as an influential teacher for generations of artistsfirst in his native germany, then in new york and provincetownhofmann played a pivotal role in the development of abstract expressionism. Hans hofmann march 21, 1880 february 17, 1966 was a germanborn american abstract expressionist painter. Books by hans hofmann author of search for the real.
New york, museum of modern art, hans hofmann, september 11november 28, 1963, cat. Tennessee williams, 1949 the painter hans hofmann 18801966 is one of the most important figures in postwar american art. In formal terms, he is especially noteworthy as a theorist of the. Art and science create a balance to material life and enlarge the world of. His bestknown early paintings combine cubist structure with fauvist color, as in untitled 1943. Here is a theory of art that is a group of very interesting essays put together by editors who believe that art is everything. Hans hofmann was an artist known for his colorful paintings. The title of this book is search for the real, and other essays and it was written by hans hofmann, sarah t. Get the best deals on hans hofmann art paintings when you shop the largest online selection at.
Art criticism and theory books national gallery shop. The creative process lies not in imitating, but in paralleling nature translating the impulse received from nature into the medium of expression, thus vitalizing this medium. Hans hofmann 18801966 was an acclaimed abstract expressionist and one of the most influential art teachers of the 20th century. Although he would eventually be considered one of the preeminent abstract expressionists, having. The renate series 9780870991196 by hofmann, hans and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The retrospective exhibition circulated various venues through 1965. A pioneering artist and teacher, hans hofmann emigrated from germany to the united states in 1930. Your topic can be a a single work of art, an artist or an art movement that has been interpreted from several points of view or b a stateoftheresearch paper on a specific problem in art history art historical methodology. It would be difficult to name a more influential 20th century painter than hans hofmann. Biography of hans hofmann, abstract expressionism pioneer. In 1915 he founded his own art school in munich called the hans hoffman school of fine arts. Nature was the origin of art, hofmann believed, and no matter how abstract his pictures seemed to become, he always sought to maintain in them. It is perhaps a measure of the lingering skepticism about hans hofmann s worth as a painter that the exhibition now at the whitney museum of american art is the first to survey his entire career. This groundbreaking catalogue raisonne of paintings, which has been painstakingly researched over sixteen years, is both an invaluable scholarly resou.
Aug, 2004 theory in contemporary art since 1985 is a groundbreaking anthology that captures the essence and the edge of the contemporary art scene. Not all ebooks listed here are public domain, some are links to the their authors sites for reading and study only. A very short introduction very short introductions. A finding aid to the hans hofmann papers, circa 19042011. There, with a bit more exhibition space, the museum mounted some 80 works. See available paintings, works on paper, and prints and multiples for sale and. Works on paper, which is cocurated by karen wilkin and marcelle polednik, presents a chronological survey of hofmanns output on paper. In other words, to explore the nature of the medium i. Essential reading list to learn art aesthetics and. And hans hofmann also has a place with those giants who move straight into the light without being blinded by it.
As early as 1915, artist hans hofmann opened his own school of fine arts, the schule fur bildenes kunst, in munich, germany. Search for the real, and other essays by hans hofmann. The painter hans hofmann 18801966 is one of the most important figures in postwar american art. So the artist doesnt create a mirror image of nature. These works show hofmann hitting an apex in his art.
Hofmann believed that abstract art was a way to get at the important reality. He also began to explore a wider variety of styles, and ecstasy reflects his experiments, showing his continued loyalty to european masters such as joan miro and hans arp at a time when many of hofmann s american colleagues were trying to overcome european influences. Fermented soil by hans hofmann contains such fresh joy and vigor it is hard to believe it was painted by a man in his mideighties. Art theory, marketing, and inspiration books become a club member. Hans hofmann push and pull theory hans hofmann 18801966 is one of the most important figures of postwar american art.
Hans hofmann was born in weissenburg, germany in 1880. The show was first mounted at the museum of contemporary art jacksonville at the university of north florida. These limited edition works of art andor their respective images may or may not be currently available. Welcome to art and theory, a publishing house dedicated to books on architecture, art, fashion, photography, and aesthetics. Museum of art, tate modern, germanisches nationalmuseum, national gallery of art, and art institute of chicago. Art is something absolute, something positive, which gives power just as food gives power. It is given to the museum of modern art the following year. Circa 1950 accompanies the rose art museums examination of the nine studies for murals that hofmann produced for the chimbote project, architect josep serts 1950 peruvian urban planning project. Now updated to include the results of new research, together with significant contributions from the 1990s. Art leads to a more profound concept of life, because art itself is a profound. Hans hofmann has 28 books on goodreads with 89 ratings. Past show featuring works by hans hofmann at acme fine art boston, 450 harrison avenue nov 1st, 20 jan 11th, 2014. In the summer, he moved his instruction to provincetown, massachusetts. New edition of this popular anthology of twentiethcentury art theoretical texts.
Hans hofmann was an americangerman abstract expressionist painter regarded as one of the most influential art teachers of the 20th century. A nature design project every light is a shade, compared to the higher lights, till you come to the sun. Hans hofmann biography, art, and analysis of works important art by hans hofmann with artwork analysis, influences, achievement, and overall contribution to the arts. The career of the germanamerican painter and educator hans hofmann 18801966 follows the arc of artistic modernism from preworld war i munich and paris to midtwentiethcentury greenwich village in new york. This book examines the full range of his achievement and influence as both artist and theorist, featuring more than sixty paintings highlighting key periods in hofmann s career.
A fairly brisk overview of an often underdiscussed 20th century american germanborn artist. Art criticism and theory books berger, eco, gombrich, pollock, updike art has inspired great writing and powerful ideas. Some of hofmanns other key tenets include his pushpull spatial theories, his insistence that abstract art has its origin in nature, and his belief in the spiritual. Hans hofmann august 31december 11, 2016 hans hofmann s famous phrase push and pull is most often associated with his signature works of the 1950s and 1960s, in which bold color planes emerge from and recede into energetic surfaces of intersecting and overlapping shapes. In 1963, the museum of modern art gave a fullscale retrospective, organized by william seitz. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading art theory. In 1966, a month before his death, hans hofmann described his process of. Hans hofmanns wideranging art at uc berkeley art museum. Browse our selection of art criticism and theory books from the national gallery bookshop. Schelling, benedetto croce, and ernst cassirer have emphasized the creative and. Hans hofmann by cynthia goodman goodreads share book. Although frank stella never took a class with hans hofmann he moved to new york the same year that hofmann retired from teaching to concentrate on painting, he cites hofmann as a major influence.
Also prominent as a writer on modern art, hofmann authored an influential book sometimes referred to and anthologized as an essay, search for the real, in which he discussed his pushpull spatial theories, his reverence for nature as a source for art, his conviction that art has spiritual value, and his philosophy of art in general. Hans hofmann 18801966 is one of the most important figures of postwar. The career of the germanamerican painter and educator hans hofmann 18801966 describes the arc of artistic modernism from preworld war i munich and paris to midtwentiethcentury greenwich village. He was one of the most influential of the emigre artists to arrive in the united states in the 1930s and 40s, during the rise of the nazi party in germany and the early years of the war. He explored pictorial structures, chromatic relationships, and spatial illusion to create the perception of depth and motion on a flat surface. Blog home the importance of color in the art of hans hofmann. His career also traces the transatlantic engagement of modern painting with the materials of its. His career also traces the transatlantic engagement of modern painting with the.
Hans hofmann 18801966 is one of the most important figures of postwar american art. Hans hofmann began painting in paris, where he worked alongside such titans of european modernism as pablo picasso, georges braque, fernand leger, and henri matisse. Freelands energetic and engaging voice breezily guides the reader, while employing an astonishing array of examples to illuminate and activate her explications. The influence of hans hofmann american abstract artists. Hans hofmann spread european modernist styles and ideas in the united states, and his own work made a powerful contribution to abstract expressionism. Hans hofmann taught that abstract art evolved from nature and was an important conduit of european modernist ideas for american artists. Creation in form and color this lushly illustrated book offers a close look at hofmann s significant role in abstract expressionism and american modernism during the 20th century as well as his fundamental influence as a teacher on the development of modern art. Renate, hans and maria hofmann trust artists rights society, renate, hans and maria hofmann trust artists rights society another is that hofmann, who taught at berkeley for a spell and died in 1966, left a choice selection the largest body of his art held by any institution to the museum. The third hand was created in 1947 by hans hofmann in abstract expressionism style. See more ideas about hans hofmann, painting and abstract. Hans hofmann art monographs and museum exhibition catalogs.
Published on mar, 2018 join elliot bostwick davis, john moors cabot chair, art of the americas, to explore hans hofmann s theories of painting as they evolve in his own work, as well as the work. Hofmann believed that the artist must translate his feelings for nature into a creative interpretation of the medium. While his paintings have been the subject of many exhibitions and publications, his works on paper are comparatively little known, despite how central they were to his artistic practice and to the evolution of his style and technique. Hofmanns art work is distinguished by a rigorous concern with pictorial structure, spatial illusion, and color relationships. He based them on his intimate acquaintance with fauvism, cubism and its lyrical offshoot, orphism, while in paris from 1905 to 19, and years later, while back in germany, with surrealism. The importance of color in the art of hans hofmann ideelart. Germanborn hans hofmann 18801966 was the first person to formulate a set of principles for understanding modern art, making him one of the centurys most important teachers. The search for the real in the visual arts, sculpture, and painting and culture were all printed in full. Hans hofmann nature world spiritual artist the art of pictorial creation is so complicated it is so astronomical in its possibilities of relation and combination that it would take an act of superhuman concentration to explain the final realization. This popular anthology of twentiethcentury art theoretical texts has now been expanded to take account of new research, and to include significant contributions to art theory from the 1990s. The museum of modern art, hans hofmann, 11 september28 november. The career of the germanamerican painter and educator hans hofmann 18801966 describes the arc of artistic modernism from preworld war i munich and paris to mid twentiethcentury greenwich village. Hans hofmann by lucinda barnes hardcover university of. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices.