Peter Hoffer

Peter Hoffer is a landscape painter, working with traditional varnishing techniques popularized in the 19th century. He particularly addresses artists’ practice of using a high-gloss finish to maintain the appearance of being newly completed. His images feature nondescript views of landscapes, to which he applies many coats of reflective varnishes, sometimes between layers of paint. Over time, the surface shows natural inconsistences such as discoloration and cracks. Hoffer exaggerates this effect by marking, etching, scratching, and searing the varnished layers, such that they becomes rough “like the terrain itself.”

Courtesy of Kathryn Markel Fine Arts