"Cosmos SW 6528" to debut at the Lincoln Art Institute September 26

[September 11, 2015]  LINCOLN - The Lincoln Art Institute and the Logan County Arts are pleased to present a solo art exhibition by founding member Jason Hoffman, entitled “Cosmos SW 6528”. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 26 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Lincoln Art Institute, 112 S. Mclean Street in Lincoln.

An Artist Talk on the exhibit will follow on Wednesday, October 14 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Lincoln Art Institute. Both events are free to the public.

The show will include a retrospective and new multimedia pieces in two and three dimensions, representing Hoffman’s efforts since the installation of his public sculpture “Constellation” in 2012. According to the artist, the show’s title sums up a theme common to these new artworks. As he explains, “Cosmos SW 6528” refers to a space regarded as orderly, forming a pleasingly consistent whole.

One striking element of several of the artworks is the use of bright and varied colors. Not only primary shades, but also rich, complex hues come together in eye-catching combinations. Despite the large scale and varied palette, the result is never garish, due to the artist’s painstaking arrangements of line and form. Instead, the viewer is invited into a harmonious world of wonder and discovery.

How do you produce harmonious balance from a jumble of paint chips? How can large, heavy pieces of steel be transformed into a soaring sculpture? In his October 14 Artist Talk, Hoffman will recount some of the technical challenges and artistic inspirations behind his work. He will also take participants on a gallery walk to review the “Cosmos SW 6528” pieces on display, answering questions and providing back-stories and progress pictures of works as they developed in his studio.

Jason Hoffman was born in 1978 in Fairbury, Illinois and was raised in a heritage of farming, carpentry, and traditional woodworking. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Illinois State University in 2005 and has exhibited his work around the Midwest and in New York.

Also available at the “Cosmos SW 6528” opening will be information on the November, 2015 LCA exhibit, “Art Haiku/Haiku Art”. After the opening weekend, the Hoffman show will be available for viewing until October 27 by chance or appointment. Visitors may ring the doorbell, and if curator Moses Pinkerton is available he will open the gallery. For an appointment, people may call Pinkerton at 217-651-8355.

[Jason Hoffman]