Artists Karl and Mary Hofman are teaming up for an exhibition of prints and pottery at the Wild Hearts Gallery in Placitas.
Visual Memories includes Karl Hofmann’s linotype prints that are memory images of the end of World War II when Europe was reeling from bombings and the weight of war.
Mary Hofmann will show her newest pottery designs inspired by the textures and colors of New Mexico.
With the prints, Karl says he has taken time to ruminate over his last 88 years of living. The end of World War II brought radical change for Europe and the world. The fighting ended and suddenly there was peace and a new, much changed world everyone had to contend with.
“I was born and grew up during the war. After the fighting ended a new world opened up,” Karl said. “I was aware we could live in a world without guns, bombs and shooting at each other.”
It is this new world Karl says he has tried to capture in the exhibition.
Both Hofmanns are individually accomplished artists producing their own work in a variety of media, but they say their unique achievement has been their ability to successfully work as collaborators for the past 60 years.
Mary Hofmann says she was initially drawn to the arts through painting, in particular Expressionism and the emotion it evoked. After Mary retired from her job at the UNM library, she was a business manager and studio assistant for Karl when he was teaching at Albuquerque’s Sandia Prep. According to a press release, she says over time the line blurred between her support of Karl’s production and creation of her own hand-built, functional clay works. Now, she is the potter and Karl, no longer throws pots.
Karl continues to make and help apply glazes for Mary’s new generation of Hofmann pottery while Mary often joins in the examination of a painting or proof of a print, discussing composition and color and making suggestions.
The couple recently published a book chronicling their artistic works together titled, Mary and Karl Hofmann’s Odyssey.
There will be an artist’s reception on from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. A First Sunday ARTScrawl Meet the Artist event is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 4. Both artists will be on site to sign copies of Mary and Karl Hofmann’s Odyssey.
Wild Hearts Gallery is located at 221-B State Highway 165. It is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.