Peter Allen Hoffmann (April 1 – May 21)

Thomas Robertello Gallery, 27 N. Morgan, Chicago

jeffery mcnary

With little fanfare, Thomas Robertello recently opened his relocated gallery in Chicago’s West Loop, reestablishing his presence in the city’s art world with an exhibition of Peter Allen Hoffmann, “When the Cathedrals Were White”. “I chose Peter's work for the first exhibition mainly because the timing was right for both of us”, said Mr. Robertello. “It had been four years since his last solo exhibition with me and I feel honored to represent his work. While I could have opened the new space successfully with a group show,” he continued, “a solo show by any of the artists I work with, or someone new, I'm really pleased that his work is here right now.”

The show assumes numerous poses, rolling from order to conscious anarchy, from irreverent and funky to establishment still-life with some works bordering on the Hudson River School. Such is the case in, “Pomegranate III”, oil on linen, with his rich use of deep red and orange on a black background, and, “The Source”, oil on linen, capturing the nature and romance of a tumbling stream through earth shades of beige and green forest.

 “I suppose I am a pluralist”, is the voice he paints in. “I am interested in many different things. I try not to separate my life into too many parts,” Hoffmann shared. “Therefore, the paintings reflect my own experiences of places I have been and images I have collected, as well as work by other artists. Placement of these ideas and thoughts next to each other and seeing what happens is fascinating to me.”

The artist’s works, however, are more than just picture windows. He challenges and shifts gears. “I think the painting "Untitled"(Red Hook) may give some sort of insight into my process. I was interested in making a painting that contained opposing forces, and yet, looked void or empty,” says Hoffmann. “It is almost an achrome. It hung on my wall in my former studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn for a year before I realized it was finished. I find it a very difficult painting. There doesn't seem to be much happening at first, but it gets more complicated the longer you look at it.” In, “Gambit II”, oil on canvas, the artist presents his abstract language in cool off-white and blues with a bold crimson edge on three sides…almost minimalist. Other of Hoffmann’s abstracts provide tasteful glimpses of thick, vigorous strokes.

For the most part, the paintings are 12” x 12”, which the artist tags as, “facial” in scale. “They are to be read like faces”, says Hoffmann. “Most people are better reading faces than paintings…which is also why I hang them relatively high.”

Given Robertello’s plans for the new space, Hoffmann’s show is a fine re-start. “My new vision for the space and its programming isn't much different from the old one, at least in terms of goals. As usual, I operate by instinct, a keen eye, and never get involved in the vision or production of an artist's work,” Robertello says. “I trust them implicitly and I have diverse interests. I'm careful to not influence them during any dialog we may have about their work.”

The curator/gallery owner also shared his intention to turn over the tiny project space of the gallery to Jason Robert Bell for an entire year, a fantastic opportunity. “He will have 6 small exhibitions there, coordinated with shows in the main space, and culminating with a solo show in the main space next year,” said Robertello. “I hope that my commitment to his work will bring recognition to Jason's massive genius.”

“I plan on continuing to work at this scale,” Hoffmann added, “Yet I will be working on larger paintings as well.  ‘When Cathedrals Were White’ is aesthetically pleasing in a fresh way, with spirited moments offering suggestions, and the artist completely in control.