Artist : Neil Hoffmann
Year : –
Size : –
Media : Wood Fired Stone
connection between this artwork and my practice:
Hoffmann’s work is process-based. He follows the idea of materials creating the form during the firing process. He tries to minimise artist’s conscious decision making and let the material get the form. He places materials such as glaze, clay and stone next to each other. He lets materials react to each other during firing and become one Anti-form that has its own character, rather than the artist forming them.
The firing process plays the most important part in his sculptures. He uses local stones and places them in the kiln. During the multiple firings, stones lose the solid form and become a formless sculpture.
The most important thing that attracts me to his works, is how he uses traditional techniques and moves away from representationality of ceramic objects. How material and making process play and control and the artist absorbs and guid the form instead of limiting the artwork.
Being conscious that we can’t control everything is coming out of his conscious choice of natural material and uncontrolled process such as wood fire for a main making step.