The German/Dutch artist Stefan Hoffmann, known for his vertical screenprinting, began a two-month residency at Pittsburgh Glass Center this month. Hoffmann was invited to create a site-specific permanent installation in PGC’s expanded facility. He will be working on the project until late May when the installation will be unveiled.
In all of his projects, he starts fresh without any preconceived ideas. He has been spending time in the space, absorbing what he sees and hears, taking photos, and interacting with students, staff, and visitors to understand the culture and what makes PGC unique. After this initial phase, he will choose imagery and conduct additional research online to compile his visual source material for the project. Paper mockups will appear on windows and walls. Hoffmann will conduct extensive color testing, develop the final composition of the piece, and slowly but surely, move to the final stage when the images are screen printed vertically on the windows.
He plans to experiment with interference pigments, special paints that have distinctive optical effects emphasizing the inherent qualities of glass. They change color with light and in the absence of light. They may appear pink or orange during the day and completely change color at night.
Pittsburgh Glass Center is working with Artists Image Resource (AIR), a Pittsburgh based artist-run, non-profit print and imaging organization, to provide technical resources and offer opportunities for visitors to learn more about screenprinting.
ABOUT STEFAN HOFFMANN
German born artist Stefan Hoffmann, living and working in Rotterdam and Cologne, uses vertical screenprinting to create site-specific projects based on existing graphic material. In the last 15 years, Hoffmann has been involved in numerous projects in Europe, North America, and Asia. He has been working with the Andy Warhol Museum, The Museum for Contemporary Art Toronto MOCA, the Kunsthal Rotterdam, the Museum for Art Architecture and Design Marta Herford, and the Rubenstein Arts Center. Hoffmann studied Fine Arts at The Artez Academy in Arnhem and the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht. Hoffmann has been involved in education, and outreach at different art institutions, among others as “professeur invité pratique singulière” at UQAM University in Montréal.
