Jeremy Hof: Painting with Power Tools
October 9, 2008
Referring to his works as hybrids, Hof sought to combine minimalist sculpture with pop art in his RBC-winning piece, “Layer Painting Red.” A fresh take on painting, the piece is a thick panel made up of layers and layers of paint and plaster. The inner workings of the painting are exposed using a router.
The process to make the work was extremely involved says Hof. Besides the time spent layering the paint and plaster, Hof designed an algorithm to define the lines created from carving into the work. The end result is a bursting effect of the colour.
“It’s a little bit difficult to explain, but once you see it you’ll get it…When I was carving it there was no room for error and it was all by hand. If I screwed up it would be months and months of work down the drain, so it was quite intense in the final hours of it.”
Although he’s looking to explore new methodologies and approaches to painting, all of Hof’s work adheres to a mandate that it needs to be pleasing to look at. And for Hof that means making clean minimalist work.
“There needs to be some kind of pleasure taking in the viewing, because there’s immense pleasure in the process of me working with it. And so I kind of want to convey that with the viewer.”
The fact that he won the RBC competition is still sinking in for Hof, but he’s glad to have the recognition. After he won he called his parents in Grande Prairie, Alberta who were waiting by the phone. When he told them he could hear his mom screaming in the background. Now he just wants to keep the momentum going.
“I’ve always been really confident with what I’m doing. So I’m just going to stay true to my ideals and my practice. It’s gotten me this far, so I must be doing something right.”
The RBC Painting Competition finalists’ works are now on a national tour until next Spring. Click here to find a location near you.
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