CLARKS SUMMIT — Local artist Peter Hoffer currently has an art exhibit at The Gathering Place. On Friday, Oct. 4, he will have an artist reception for his display. Since Sept. 13, his exhibit, which is called “Forms and Fictions: Recent Mixed Media,” has been gracing the walls of The Gathering Place and will remain until October 30. Forms and Fictions consists of forty non-objective works, many of which are panels that measure 12”x12” without framing.
Having a background in printmaking, Hoffer used papers that he either prepared himself or printed, with recycled scraps and acrylic paints, and blends them in a collage that he mounted on board.
The “forms’ in the title refers to the elements of design (color, line, and texture) and the principles of design (variety, harmony, and repetition).
“The form is a result of putting elements together in various ways, which are the principles and trying to end up in a unity,” said Hoffer.
The “fiction” in the title is the viewer’s interpretation. The artwork is non-representational, meaning that it doesn’t have a specific theme.
“It’s up to the viewer to decide or not decide what they’re looking at,” Hoffer said. “It’s their narrative. It’s their story. Ultimately, it invites viewer participation. It invites viewer imagination and their involvement in the work.”
On third of Forms and Fictions have been completed in the last year while the rest has been created in the past four to five years. The purpose of the artwork is for the viewer to feel a sense of unity and wholeness.
Hoffer is a resident of Waverly. He received a BA in art from George Washington University and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. From 1973 to 2018, he was in the art faculty teaching mainly printmaking at Marywood University. He has been displaying art in regional shows, state shows, and national shows. He is on the committee of an upcoming studio tour.