About

Thomas M. Hoffmann, b. 1965
Instagram: @thomashoffmannpainting

I graduated with a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1987, where I studied Illustration. I did some freelance illustration for a few years, then got my MFA in Painting at the Massachusetts College of Art in 1993.

I am currently showing work at Orleans Modern Art in Orleans, Massachusetts. I have worked as a freelance illustrator, teacher, graphic & user interface designer, and fine artist. I also have some pieces at Trove Art Gallery & Boutique and READYMADE Gallery, both also in Orleans.

My painting is inspired by actual places, but it isn’t those places. I’m interested in human perception, how we construct a sense of a place, a sense of ourselves, and of the other characters in our lives. We can be haunted by the past, the present, and the absent. I’m fascinated how the thoughts we have can change what we perceive. That’s so crazy! It’s a little scary and somehow also wonderful. Our world is at once tangible and concrete, then also elusive and ephemeral. I’m also interested in how people and places are so different over the minutes, hours, days, seasons, years, and eons. While my work isn’t overtly about these ideas, they are certainly on my mind while making drawings and paintings. My hope is that by making these objects, I’ll find some moment of “truth.” The idea that the moment can be shared by another person is an exciting prospect. 

My work is about the wonderful activity that is painting – colors & surfaces, brushes & mark making, lines & shapes, smooth & sharp, AND an image that hopefully resonates for the observer. I like the idea that an object – a painting in my case – can “change” your mind, even if only for a moment.

You can reach me at thomashoffmann@me.com and follow me on Instagram @thomashoffmannpainting

Photo by Grace Raczek-Hoffmann