Robert Hoffman

About the Artist

Robert Hoffman BFA Indiana University 2007 Mixed media and self taught fiber artists I grew up near my grandparents, who were amateur ornithologists and lived near a limestone quarry surrounded by woods. I often played there and observed wildlife, specifically birds. As a child I would always be in the woods, I would ride my bike out to my grandparents and hike in the woods and go down to the quarry pit. There I would watch birds on the ledges, in the low water areas and a Swamp that had formed when the water seceded.  I would run around the woods building forts and lean-tos creating my own world. These situations and environments all converge in my mind to bring forth a fantasy world.

Artist's Statement

My paintings depict lusciously colored and textured fantasy worlds in which birds of many colors and sizes exist. These birds act out narratives in whimsical and fictitious environments. I’ve chosen to personify birds because we share similarities such as building homes, and “preening” ourselves and we share similar anatomies, such as the four-chambered hearts and even some DNA. The colors of my birds and their worlds are based on the magnificent array of colors that we see specifically in birds and the environment around us. My collage portrays mountainous landscapes lush and textured.  My use of embroidery adds an element of softness against rough elements like the mountains. My 3D filament provides a glossy element next to the matte look of the embroidery thread. These elements become the fanciful surroundings in which my birds exist and tell their stories and narratives