Hans Hofmann: The Nature of Abstraction

February 27–July 21, 2019

Spanning the entirety of the artist’s career, this exhibition presents a fresh and eye-opening examination of Hans Hofmann’s prolific and innovative artistic practice.

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  • Hans Hofmann: Indian Summer, 1959; oil on canvas; 60 1/8 x 72 1/4 in.; BAMPFA, gift of the artist. Photo: Jonathan Bloom. © The Regents of the University of California.

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Past Events

  • Sunday, July 21, 3 PM

    Gallery Talk: Judith Belzer on Hans Hofmann

    Belzer offers an artist’s perspective on Hans Hofmann’s use of nature as essential source material for his abstract imagery.

  • Thursday, May 2, 12 PM

    Gallery Talk: John Zurier on Hans Hofmann

    Zurier leads an exhibition walk-through reflecting on Hofmann’s use of color, composition, and spatial dynamics.

  • Wednesday, April 10, 12 PM

    Gallery Talk: Matthew Coleman on Hans Hofmann

    Coleman leads an exhibition walk-through tracing motifs in Hofmann’s work from his early studio days to his later, large-scale abstract paintings.

  • Saturday, March 16, 1:30 PM

    Sign Language–Interpreted Tour: Hans Hofmann

    Explore Hans Hofmann’s dynamic and influential work on a special exhibition tour with American Sign Language interpretation by Patricia Lessard.

  • Saturday, March 9, 11:30 AM–1 PM or 1–2:30 PM

    Gallery + Studio: Push & Pull Compositions

    Explore how Hans Hofmann used color, form, and space to create depth and feeling in his work, then make a mixed-media art piece of your own.

    For ages 6 to 12 with accompanying adult(s)

     

  • Saturday, March 9, 1:30 PM

    Symposium: Hans Hofmann in a New Light

    Leading authorities on the work of Hans Hofmann convene for a fresh look at the artist’s achievement in light of new scholarship.

  • Thursday, March 7, 12 PM

    Curating Hans Hofmann: The Nature of Abstraction with Lucinda Barnes

    Barnes, curator emerita at BAMPFA, discusses the life and legacy of Hans Hofmann and details the process of curating the museum’s major retrospective of Hofmann’s work.

  • Selected Wednesdays, Sundays, and Free First Thursdays

    Guided Tours: Hans Hofmann

    Explore Hans Hofmann’s dynamic and influential work with a guided tour.

  • Wednesday, February 27, 12 PM

    Curator’s Talk: Lucinda Barnes on Hans Hofmann

    Join the curator of the new Hans Hofmann retrospective for an exhibition walk-through highlighting connections between the artist’s iconic late-career paintings and his remarkable and prescient works from the 1930s and ’40s.

Past Films