Artist Series 2012 Sculptor Reilly Hoffman

• Schramacus Abalonius

As part of my Artist 2012 Series I want to Introduce Sculptor Reilly Hoffman

1)      When did you become interested in creating art?

  I have been interested in art and processes for making things for as long as I can remember. My first notable experience happened at age nine while touring a small foundry of an Arkansas sculptor. I watched the molten bronze get poured into the sand molds and I remember being enamored by the glow of the molten metal.

Steel Feathers

2)     Tell me about your decision to work with metals and your methodology.

  My interest in metal came from that first experience in the foundry as a child. This developed into an exploration of metals and processes after working in that foundry for a time. Later on while in school, I started using steel to fabricate forms using conventional welding processes.  The satisfaction of building the forms directly from the ground up was satisfying in contrast to the translation of wax into bronze as in casting.  In regard to steel as a sculptural medium, 

I felt like most of the building processes that are so common in contemporary steel sculpture did not exploit the potential of steel as a medium and I wanted to find a way to actually sculpt my material in a process that was intrinsic to the properties of of the metal. Through much experimentation and research into archaic metal working techniques a method of carving intense texture was developed that takes steel and treats it more like a piece of stone or clay rather than the structural shape steel is typically extruded in.

Corax

 3)     What inspires your work? I also see you have sculptures from very large scale to small in size.

Much of the work is inspired by the desire to create objects that reference nature, but not to replicate it directly. The work is often inspired by ancient texts that reference shapes, objects and ideas that span cultural and geographic barriers that invoke a sense of community and universality. In regards to the scale of the pieces, I like a thought that Albert Paley expressed about scale that irregardless of size that work should treated with the thoughtfulness and delicacy the is required for a piece of jewelry.

• Alms Matara  a collaboration: Kelly Dickens & Reilly Hoffman

 4)     Who are your mentors in the art world?

 

There have been many people that have contributed to my growth as a person and a sculptor in this city and if any point can be expressed about this growth. It is that artists cannot exist without the support of their environment. Some notable people in my development would be Ursula Von Rydingsvard and Bill Zahner of Zahner Metal in Kansas City. 

Another contribution to my growth over the last year is my collaboration with artist Kelly Dickens. We have combined our individual knowledge and skill sets to create such things like the current Alms Matara show in The Crossroads district of Kansas City. Fortunately, Kelly has an equally esoteric wealth of knowledge in ancient practices but in areas like theatre technology and scene design. All this aids us in having a holistic approach in our collaborations.

Alms Matara in Reilly Hoffman in collaboration with Kelly Dickens Current Exhibit at The Todd Weiner Gallery

 5) I loved viewing your sketchbook (on Reilly's website) . Do your drawings come from images you have seen or your imagination?

 Most of the drawings that have been done reference things that I may have seen, but they are typically done without direct subject matter. Drawing for me as it is for many others is an exercise for the hand, eye, and mind to connect.

St Lukes Hospital Installation

 6)     Where do you show your art and do you have any exhibits scheduled in the near future?

 As mentioned above, Kelly and I are currently have an exhibition at the Todd Weiner Gallery that closes on March 31st. We currently have some commissions at various stages of completion. One public commission is an 11 foot sculpture that will be installed this May as Park Place in Leawood, KS. We are currently building a new website to showcase our collaborative works and illustrate many of the ancient processes that we employ to create our work.

Padma Theosis

 7)     What  advice do you have for aspiring artists of any age?

The best advice I can advocate to anyone is to find creativity in everything you do and be willing to take risks with ideas or techniques. I would also suggest collaborating with people in and outside the the art world. Don’t be afraid to seek out knowledgeable people as we rely on the knowledge and skill of many craftspeople to make our creations. Lastly, don’t be afraid to work really hard.

Reilly thank you so much for the  interview for Artist Series 2012...visit Reilly's website & find much more images and information at Reilly Hoffman

Photography by Matt Nichols and Kelly Dickens

I truly appreciate the interest in my 2012 Artists Series, You know that comments are very much appreciated!

xoxo

Karena

Art by Karena

The winner of the Fresh Produce Giveaway is Dianne of Yonks!!

Much Thanks to Jessie of Mix and Chic for the $50 Gift Card to Kirklands

I also received a lovely Monogrammed Lucite tray from Pink Birdie Boutique 

 sponsored by A Beautiful Life