Undulating Expanse 1955

Hans Hoffman

Oil-on-canvas Painting

Finger Painting?

Do you remember finger painting as a young child? Each artist has his/her own particular style which interests observers and compels people to analyze the meanings of his/her works. Before visiting the Ackland Art Museum on UNC-CH’s campus, I was rather unfamiliar with the unique, abstract and expressionistic work of artist Hans Hoffman. Born and educated in Germany, Hoffman immigrated to the United States in 1932, bringing his extensive knowledge of European modernist theory to his many students across the nation. His impact on the world of art still inspires young painters and thinkers today. A primary contributor to the American Abstract Expressionism movement, Hoffman’s paintings combine spontaneous paint application and large constant fields of color. His oil-on-canvas paintings, specifically Undulating Expanse, somewhat mimic finger paintings of a young child, and I think this is why his work is particularly interesting to and well-received by observers.

It is essential to note Hoffman’s passion and respect for the natural world. He often incorporated the struggles of nature into his works, and Undulating Expanse is certainly no exception. In this particular work, shapes, colors, lines and squiggles somehow organize to form an abstract design of a landscape of mountains and the sun. Hoffman, known for focusing on geometric elements, pays close attention to volume and space throughout his works. Undulating Expanse, considered one of the artist’s finest works, consists mostly of shades of orange and red. What emotions do these colors connote in the painting? Why does the sun appear so much larger than the mountains? The sun dominates all other elements of the painting, and the overlapping of the sun and the landscape depict some cosmic relationship or struggle; spirituality and emotion are evident throughout this painting. Hoffman’s work combines influences from many different eras, from post-impressionism to abstract expressionism, and is therefore very unique and well-received by many people.

My eye was drawn to the large, worm-like structure that bisects the sun. This object contains a lot of blues and dark grays, thus standing out from orangish-red in the rest of the painting. I determined that this object brings unity to the painting, giving the work a scale and creating depth. It overlaps the pink background and the sun, and it contains colors which contrast with the rest of the painting. According to the Ackland Museum’s website, “Undulating Expanse of 1955 is unusual in Hofmann's work because it is composed in a long horizontal format.” It is believed that Hoffman was hired to construct a mural; thus he painted this work to be rescaled and proportionate to a horizontal wall. Hoffman’s unique style of brush-strokes, appearing random and almost messy, makes the painting even more interesting to the public. How can someone be so famous for creating works which mimic the finger paintings of a five-year-old child?

As an integral part of the American Abstract Expressionism movement, Hans Hoffman used his knowledge of modernism to influence his many works and to educate his art students at the University of California, Berkeley. Undulating Expanse, a painting of great openness and complexity, portrays a landscape with an abstract, kid-like appearance but a symbolic meaning. This non-objective form of art allows Hoffman to fully express himself through the incorporation of color, shapes and form. Undulating Expanse is one of the most unique paintings I have ever seen, and I hope to continue developing a personal appreciation of Abstract Expressionism artists in the near future.