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Friday, August 31, 2012

Visual Art Men Crying in Front of Paintings

Posted by Jen Graves on Fri, Aug 31, 2012 at 4:42 PM

Christopher Martin Hoff, The Lee Shore, 2010

Courtesy Linda Hodges Gallery and Herbert Hall
Christopher Martin Hoff, The Lee Shore, 2010

After the Bumbershoot art preview today, I got a phone call from one Herbert Hall. He wanted to talk about Christopher Martin Hoff, whose paintings and life are the subject of a memorial exhibition I wrote about in this week's Bumbershoot guide.

Hall is the proud owner of a triptych that's included in the show. The triptych is called The Lee Shore (see above).

A lee (or leeward) shore is the one you're on if you're standing facing the sea and the wind is blowing at your face; if it's blowing at your back, you're on the windward shore. Hoff's painting was part of his series inspired by Moby-Dick (he talks about why in this interview with Joey Veltkamp). Melville titled the 23rd chapter of his book "The Lee Shore," and it includes a meditation on the dangerous thrill of being unmoored and at sea.

"Isn't that beautiful?" a man asked Hall when both of them were standing in front of The Lee Shore at the preview today at Seattle Center.

"Yes, I know, that's why I bought it," Hall said.

The man started to cry. It was Hoff's father.

I recommend visiting Christopher Martin Hoff this weekend, along with Elvistravaganza, the exhibition about "what life might be like if we lived in the sky," This Is Glass's counterpoint to Chihulyism, and Record Store (scroll all the way down to see descriptions).

Hoff's legacy continues, meanwhile. Hall began his own plein air painting practice after a class Hoff taught at Gage Academy, and Hall will have his own show of paintings at Caffe Zingaro in November.

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Comments (8) RSS

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I wish it would appear bigger than that 1 x 3 rectangle on the screen, but even at this reduced size, it's a gorgeous piece.

Posted by seatackled on August 31, 2012 at 4:48 PM

I always found great delight when after curating a show, I could see some of the emotion possible to stir with a connection to art...I also have done hospice work, and it feels the same when you know you have touched someone's emotions in a positive way...an art in itself. Thank you for posting this...

Posted by Jack Strubbe on August 31, 2012 at 6:11 PM

i love this guy's work.
i wish he were still around.
hugs to his father. and anyone else who loved him.

Posted by onion on August 31, 2012 at 11:01 PM

Please see:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeward#_

I think you have the windward/leeward thing backwards.

Posted by tedb310 on September 1, 2012 at 3:22 AM

@4 (tedb310): Mmmm ... I don't think she does.

Posted by PCM on September 1, 2012 at 8:59 AM

I miss seeing him painting around town. He was a local treasure.

Posted by mitten on September 1, 2012 at 9:55 AM

@5 Try this one:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/_/dict.…

I was trying to be polite, I'm pretty sure about this. Look at the painting in the post, the water is glassy which is common on a lee shore where the land mass blocks the wind from hitting the water. You don't see water like that too often on a windward shore.

Posted by tedb310 on September 2, 2012 at 12:25 AM

It was wonderful as always to see you yesterday, Jen. I'm certain MG was very glad to see you after. I wrote a piece about Iole Alessandrini's contribution to Skyward. It's here: http://formspaceatelier.blogspot.com/201…

Posted by Paul Kuniholm Pauper