Ira Hoffecker

 

 

 

 

"One thing that makes art different from life is that in art things have a shape... it allows us to fix our emotions on events at the moment they occur, it permits a union of heart and mind and tongue and tear."

Marilyn French

 

Ira Hoffecker’s compositions are an act of reduction. She simplies her imagery to fundamental forms and essential structures. Her work is inspired by city architecture, urban planning, reconstruction and restoration. Her current series of abstract paintings, titled „Urban Settings,“ explores the concept of organized shapes and networks versus chaotic lines and random shapes. „Urban Settings“ examins the relationships between people, cities and urban conglomerations.

Ira’s objective is to give her paintings a fresh look and a sense of beginning and spontaneuity.  For her „Urban Settings“ series, Ira decided to work with a high key colour palette of light blues and various shades of white in contrast to assorted browns and black. Dramatic marks and geometrical shapes form the basis of her composition. Ira has developed a unique style of abstract art that combines drawing and painting. She builds her own canvases which allows her to incorporate the look of the raw linen into her paintings.

In Ira’s other abstract paintings she uses a more vibrant colour palette. Again, her work is a reflection of the relationship between human nature and industrialism. Ira experiments with the  contrasts between transparency and opaqueness, flatness and depth, and sharp lines and liquid paint. „I am fascinated by urban panning and by how to integrate new buildings into already erected structures. The shapes should communicate with each other and find a language that they relate to.“ Ira’s works have titles like City Lights, Street Walk, Basis Street Blues and Hamburg.  Ira does both small and large paintings and installations.

 

For her latest project Ira has salvaged aluminum pieces and welded together forming a metal collage around which she built four canvases of different sizes. Her experimentation with different materials has proven to be an ongoing fascination for Ira. In the past she has painted on raw canvas and metal.

 

„Most of my life I have lived in large cities; my abstract art reflects my fascination with urban settings. I love to study city and topographic maps and to analyze strategies for urban planning. In my art I have a tendency to favour urban shapes.“

„Since the beginning of my career as an artist I have experimented with unusual materials and techniques. I have always tried to reveal old stories and objects in my art, for example I collect old discarded metal. I use the metal for collages or installations and sometimes integrate it into my paintings. My passion for revealing old stories and objects led me to using sanding as a technique in a series of my abstract paintings. Through sanding I reveal old layers of paint and combine them with fresh paint. Shapes disappear and reappear in a different form. For several pieces I have also used resin. Resin allows me to incorporate metal or other collage pieces into my paintings.“

„I am inspired by big cities. Each city has a different feeling.“ „It’s all about becoming involved .....to be part of the place you are and to leave your individual mark.....we are the city.“

 „Painting is a journey. It is a great experience when you take what is within you, all of your inspiration and ideas, and walk the path of creative exploration. This sensation motivates my endeavors as an artis."

"I thoroughly enjoy being able to go and contemplate great art. Art is a very important aspect of my life and I love spending time creating my own."

 

 

Bio

 

Ira Hoffecker has taken part in several exhibitions including:

the installation project “Inter Alia” in 2007 at the Slide Room Gallery in Victoria,

the Teeny Tiny Garden Show in Victoria in 2008

“Anatomy of Grays” in 2008 at the Slide Room Gallery in Victoria, and

the Sidney Fine Art Show in October 2009.

Her work is currently being exhibited at The Gallery at Mattick’s Farm,

Discovery Cafe on Discovery Street and the Medical Clinic in Cook Street Village.

She also takes part in the Look Victoria 2010 Show (February 26th to March 20th)

From April 8th to May 5th, 2010 Ira will have an exhibition in Victoria's downtown fine art gallery DALES GALLERY.

In April her work will also be exhibited at the Sopa Fine Arts Gallery in Kelowna.

 Ira was born and raised in Bavaria, Germany. She studied French and Economics and worked as a translator in France before she became head of publicity at Warner Bros. Germany. Before Ira and her family moved to Canada in 2004, she worked as a freelance marketing consultant with her own company for the movie industry.  Since 1987 she has worked for Warner Bros., Walt Disney Company, Columbia Pictures, Constantin Film, Fox, United Artist and with several other production companies.

After almost 20 years in a professional career Ira was finally able to turn intensively to what has been her lifelong interest, art. She studied art at the Vancouver Island School of Art with remarkable artists like Wendy Welch, Xane St. Phillip, John Luna, Inga Roemer and others. Independently Ira  studied with Sara McIntosh Robichaud.  Before she decided that she wanted to put all her concentration on painting and to become a painter, she also had an opportunity to study independently with  Xane St.Phillip.

“Once I got the opportunity to study the work of fantastic artists like Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Hans Hofmann, Nicolas de Stael, Robert Rauschenberg it was like a door opened and lead me into the vast land of  inspiration. In my art I don’t focus on copying the realistic, that’s what photography is for. I love the abstract expressionists, their work is about creation and interpretation.  I want to be part of this creative process and create something that has not existed before and that comes from myself. Coming from a different life I understand my chance to be able to create a piece of art as an incredible priviledge.“