George Hofmann, Duccio Fragment (No. 1), 2011, acrylic on board, 30 x 24? Recently George Hofmann, a faculty member from 1967 to 2002 in the legendary Hunter College art program, contributed a post to Art Critical about artists who write. “As an artist I am most drawn these days to reading blogs of other working artists,” Hofmann wrote. “What sets apart the artist’s blogs is their earnestness and faith. Critics analyze and dissect, but do they write from the heart, as artists do? Artists may wish to promote themselves, but in writing they are usually working, and thinking…. Artists who write write for a purpose. They may be working out their own trajectories, erratic and capricious, but, mostly, they are writing out of necessity. This is a big part of what now actually moves art along; in my view, we need it.”

In the Comments section painter-writer Laurie Fendrich responded that “writing form the heart” isn’t what makes artists’ writing worth reading. “The experience of being an artist teaches artists how to be loners–to take aesthetic stands that aren’t necessarily popular,” Fendrich wrote. “Whether they write well or not, they almost always have a lot of interesting takes on the world in general.”

A painting from Hoffman’s 2011 “Duccio Fragment” series accompanied the post. The casual combination of emergent paint marks on unprimed wood panels caught my eye. I sent Hofmann a note to ask if there are other paintings in the series. Here are the images he sent me.

Associated Artist

• George Hofmann

Associated News

• March 12, 2022
  A Precedes B – George Hofmann
  Henri Magazine
  March 10 and 12, 2022
  A Precedes B
  
  Works by Four Artists
  
  David Richard Gallery 211 East 121 Street New


• May 15, 2020
  George Hofmann Drawings from the 70s
  Henrimag.com
  Mark Stone
  May 15, 2020
  


• February 20, 2020
  FRESH AIR ON 121st STREET: HOFMANN AT DAVID RICHARD
  Pirihalasz.com
  February 20, 2020
  


• February 1, 2020
  George Hofmann: More Than A Feeling
  David Richard Gallery
  GalleriesNow.net
  February 1, 2020
  


• January 6, 2020
  Press Release - George Hofmann "More Than A Feeling"


• September 12, 2014
  GEORGE HOFMANN, BEN DOWELL


• July 8, 2014
  Gestural Painting
  abstractcritical
  8 July 2014
  Written by George Hofmann
  


• October 14, 2012
  George Hofmann's Instant Awareness
  Submitted by Brett Baker
  October 14, 2012
  


• September 12, 2012
  George Hofmann at Show Room
  By Martin
  September 12, 2012
  


• September 6, 2011
  George Hofmann and Laurie Fendrich on artists’ writing, and the Duccio Fragments series
  Two Coats of Paint
  September 6, 2011
  by Sharon Butler
  


• August 31, 2011
  “Artists who write write for a purpose” by George Hofmann artcritical Wednesday, August 31st, 2011


• April 1, 2011
  George Hofmann – Painting Life M Stone Interviews, Painting, Romanticism April 1, 2011


• November 21, 2010
  George Hofmann on Fractured Space
  By Paul Corio
  SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2010