Hans Hofmann

Hans Hofmann is an abstract expressionist painter from Germany. His work circulates around structured lines, bold colours, spatial illusion. He works entirely abstract and developed the vast majority of his work during the 1940's. Hofmann believed that abstract art was 'a way to get at the important reality'. He has stated, famously, "The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." I find his work rather interesting, especially the way he uses sharp small blots of colour along with heafty, block colour in areas.

This piece is one of his most simple pieces. I like contrast between the dark, large coloured areas and the short relatively light areas.

Again, I think this piece is absolutely intriguing. However, this time his art is very complex (unidentifiable yet still complex.) I think it's intelligently put together and actually well thought out. I can tell that it's thought out because, although it has somewhat 'random' areas, it is still structured and the colours are put in places that make you focus on certain points (such as the bright yellow on the relatively bright orange/red, then to green, which contrasts with such colour.

This is relatively similar to what a lot of people are doing during the Peace Room assignment. It's dark, but somehow does not make you feel any form of anger. He has intentionally put bright coloured squares on a dark green background. The focus of this appears to be the squares as they're bright/light yet the back ground is very dark, therefore making you directly look at the 'focal point'. 

How this could potentially influence my own work

Hofmann's work could potentially influence some of my designs as it gives me an influential structure to base mine off. The abstract design of his work is entirely what we could be looking at, as it fits directly with the requirement. The abstract format does not have any object-based image but it does have multiple focus points due to the contrast in colour shades. But, however, Hofmann's work does have very dark, bold colours, which aren't particularly calming therefore, that would be something one would alter to fit the requirement.