Hans Hofmann: The Nature of Abstraction

University of California Press

If you like art but have not come across the oeuvre of Hans Hofmann, I pity you.

Prolific in nature, his body of work comprises seven decades and a consistent output of innovative pieces, be it simple based ones to his explorations of colourful expressionist approaches, which questioned concepts of form, space and what was considered art in general during his era.

Abstract art might not be everyone’s cup of hot beverage, yet I find Hofmann to be one of the more accessible representatives of the genre and having been friends with the likes of Matisse and Picasso certainly left an indelible mark of his style, which culminated not only in the appreciation but the actual incorporation of cubism, surrealist elements and fauvism into his paintings.

To describe Hofmann’s emissions as “vibrant” would be an understatement par excellence and his willingness to never stop experimenting infused his practice with a “push and pull” energy, often sourced from the discrepancy between contraction and expansion, that is infectious.

Hans Hofmann is not as difficult to grasp as he was made out to be during his heyday and this tome is testament to the merits of his distinct style and a retrospective that will certainly find new aficionados that so far have not been exposed to his output.

A book that illustrates the arc of the continuity of his career influenced in equal measures by influences of the old and the new worlds, and one that you want to have on your shelf as it covers an essential artist of the  twentieth century who worked in the advent of conceptual art, and one that was inspired by the best but refrained from mere imitation.

Dominic Büttner – Dreamscapes

Scheidegger and Spiess

Dreamscapes is a more than suitable term to depict the oeuvre of the Swiss photographer Dominic Büttner, one that is comprised of performances that have been accumulated and captured over an extensive period both at night and day in a myriad of contexts au naturel and in contextualised built environments.

Minimalist in nature, Dominic Büttner has developed an idiosyncratic approach to shooting photos and framing them in an otherworldly manner. In essence, he is only employing a flashlight and a large-format camera from which he moves away and by using time exposure he gradually erases himself from the equation.

What results are strangely captivating depictions of often trivial surroundings that he gives additional layers with how he makes use of light or the absence thereof.

The over eighty Dreamscapes are elaborated on via essays by photography luminaries, who with their expertise manage to open one’s horizon for the finer details that might have otherwise gone amiss.

A fascinating book that made me want to delve deeper into Dominic Büttner’s body of work and one that looks fantastic as an adornment to any coffee table. Apart from its aesthetic merits, the book should be interesting for anyone remotely interested in the art of photography as it exemplifies techniques to capture details with limited lighting.

High Adventures in the Great Outdoors

Be Spunki

No matter if I am traveling or how long my days are, in a bid to balance stress and all that comes with a busy schedule, I try to get exercise in whenever possible.

While it is more often a very enjoyable part of the day, it can at times feel a chore, especially the motivational bit at the beginning when you either have to scrape yourself from your mattress early or get off the couch when you feel like Netflix, craft beer and chill.

As one grows older, things do not tend to get easier either.

Along came the supplements of Be Spunki.

I started incorporating their REBOOT into my schedule, which is meant to help optimise the key hormones connected with health to the level they were during your twenties.

REBOOT is a melange of 9 natural and organic herbs and active ingredients that shall aid with boosting testosterone levels, enhancing physical and cognitive performance as well as the improvement of immune functions, stamina, energy and endurance.

When it comes to such supplement I usually approach them with a heathy dose of scepticism as once you have invested in them, the placebo effect might kick in.

However, after a while of using REBOOT, I felt a sense of better general wellbeing, for a lack of a better term. It was easier to get a cardio or gym session in even after long days and stressful situations seemed to be easier to cope with.

The recovery times from more intense sessions, including half-marathon preparations shortened and I felt like during the flu and colder seasons I was less prone to falling sick, for which certainly the Zinc components played an integral role.

It was no longer after running a half-marathon that I started using their RECOVER product as well. Now, with post workout recovery I feel it is a tad easier to feel tangible benefits straight away as the combination of easily-assimilable vegan protein combined with adaptogen herbs is never not conducive to get things metaphorically and literally back on track,

The range of active ingredients read like a best of the good stuff: Spirulina, enough Maca to make John Joseph proud, Pomegranate, Asparagus and Broccoli extracts and good ole Ginkgo biloba among others.

The most tangible benefit I felt after using REBOOT for a while is that I was able to get back into it within twenty-four hours and that the discomfort from sore muscles subsided much quicker than without it.

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photos provided

Essential Duchamp

Exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales

Yale University Press

It would prove hard to underestimate the impact of one Marcel Duchamp – a disruptor par excellence, whose body of work is to exert an influence over generations to come.

With the Art Gallery of NSW’s never not eclectic approach to securing and curating cutting edge exhibitions, their idiosyncratic overview of the artistic trials and tribulations of Marcel Duchamp is a multi-faceted mosaic of over one hundred and twenty exponates, which are mainly from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Duchamp reservoir and archives.

What materializes as a result is one grand overview that highlights the significance of the oeuvre of Marcel Duchamp.

Not merely focusing on pleasing the crowds with his trademark works, i.e. Nude descending a staircase and the token pissoir, the exhibition starts by shedding on pieces detailing him finding his feet and takes the visitors on a journey that meanders through his post-impressionism and cubism infused formative years to then eventually arrive and culminate at the stage of the accomplished artists he is known for these days.

The accompanying book, which goes under the same title, i.e. Essential Duchamp, not only elaborates on Duchamp’s approach when it comes to elevating mundane, everyday thingamajigs through his selection into the spheres of acclaimed art but manages to illuminate how there was much more to Duchamp than meets the eye including the disciplines he pursued, which he did not get as much credit for, such as sculpting, creative writing, product design and directing films.

Both the retrospective and the book are odes to not only an unconventional and at times enigmatic pioneer (at some stage he only made appearances under the pseudonym of an alter ego) but also how concepts of art and the artist can be changed, challenged and amplified if the mind is tickled in equal measures as the eye – conceptual art par excellence without which current art movements would have not had fertile ground to grow and establish themselves on.

Sounds like lofty avant-gardist wank?

The opposite is the case and the beauty is that both the showcase and the book are engaging and provide an accessible introduction to Marcel Duchamp.

Alice in Slasherland

Old Fitzroy Theatre

Sydney, Australia

Despite “Alice in Wonderland” being an immensely influential piece of work among Carrol Lewis’ oeuvre, the men himself is fabled to have given in to neither instincts and less wholesome endeavours during his time, which is where one could draw parallels to the malevolence that materialized on stage with. Qui Nguyen's ALICE IN SLASHERLAND.

As the title suggests and thinly veils, Alice In Wonderland is an all-out homage to the horror genre with all its clichés and delights. Without pretending to have a sophisticated angle or twist, the play indulges in drawing all stops in the most unapologetic way, which make it one of the more amusing and entertaining theatre incarnations I have recently witnessed.

There is hardly a horror movie trope that is left untouched – set against a Samhain party, teenagers conjure the opening of a channel to the realms of Beelzebub with all the biblical references and allusions possible thrown in for good measure to ultimate release the dead.

The star of the show is the main protagonist’s smack talking, foul mouthed sassy hippity hoppity teddy bear, who shoulders the task of saving the day.

I have elaborated on the merits of Redline Productions and the longstanding institution that is the Old Fitzroy Theatre and tonight was another exercise in demonstrating what can be done in a relatively confined space with a limited budget. Video projections give the performance an additional dimension and the costume designs chosen are no really concealed tributes to what is known from b-grade slasher movies, including the deliberately exaggerated depiction of the demons.

The ensemble does an excellent job finding the right balance between humour, cartoonish simplicity and seriousness to add some depths to characters that usually do not scratch the surface of outworn stereotypes.

A high octane play with an energetic cast that frames a very entertaining evening with a few surprises and one that is both an homage as well as a persiflage and recommended not only for horror movie aficionados.