Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dianne Hoffman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
The artistic medium that I’ve grown known for is a form of mixed media called “Assemblage” utilizing salvaged and recycled objects. Many of these broken bits have often been disregarded as disposable debris. Through my art I am able to bestow a second life on these materials with a new found purpose by turning damaged and displaced items into perplexing characters in dimensional worlds that relay metaphor and allegory.
I have a tendency to personify inanimate objects and feel genuine compassion for those that are damaged or disregarded. I see potential in broken bits and find beauty in rust and erosion. The older an object, the more haunting and alluring its ghost. Assemblage art allows me to indulge these concepts by creating sculptural vignettes where tall tales are told, jokes are cracked, emotions stirred, and poems imparted. Sometimes an inspired idea will come upon first sight of an object. But more often I will mull through my neatly organized piles of arbitrary things repetitively placing random items together until something visually clicks and the piece takes hold. I like to link organic objects from nature with industrial and figurative remnants by combining complementary muted color schemes to harmonize dissimilar media.
The narrative facet of each piece often derives from the variety of music I am listening to, a phrase that strikes me, or a sentiment I’d like to give a visual context to. My intent is to portray a delicate balance between light and dark by depicting the sincerity found in their unified stories. As much as I strive to live in the present, I don’t discount that we all have a backstory. All of the components in my assemblages look worn and weathered with an inherent wisdom that can only come with age. By placing them together so they profoundly speak to each other, I am able to collectively grant these objects a “second coming” and an alternative, higher purpose. I do feel like every one of my completed pieces is alive with things to say, hearts to touch and a home waiting to encompass them.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
My imagination is the most imperative tool in my toolbelt. It doesn’t really matter how rare, collectable or authentic any object is in one of my assemblage compositions. Individually they equate the same to me as a canvas, can of paint or a paint brush would to a painter. The repurposed objects and materials only become art once the artist infuses individuality, a set of honed skills and their personal methodology. Once these components are brought together with great intention, the artist is able to reveal a part of their soul that hopefully connects with another.
My 220 square feet of leased studio space is rather small by assemblage art standards. In addition to utilizing it as my workspace, it also serves as a “showroom” where I invite clients and art enthusiasts in for a look and a chance to select from my available inventory. I typically keep the space fairly tidy and ready to receive company. Most visitors marvel at how exceptionally organized my studio is. Keeping it this way has an affect on the quantity and scale of objects and items I collect for storage. However, I do prefer the challenge of having somewhat limited resources so that each art piece I create is dependent on the strength of my imagination rather than the magnetism of the objects themselves. My philosophy is that, for the most part, I only use objects immediately available within my current supply and if I don’t have something specific, then I need to rethink it and come up with an alternative idea to best execute the piece. This way I stay on track, use what I have and avoid endless commercial consumption cycles.
Which brings me to the most common question I am asked during studio visits; “Where do you acquire all of these objects?” There was a time when every week was a treasure hunt of rummaging through thrift shops, flea markets, re-use centers, garage sales, junkyards, attics and basements for precious baubles, bits and boxes. I called myself “Goddess of the Hunt” and my partner and I would spend a good deal of time enjoying the acquisition of cool stuff for my art form. But in the last ten years, my production schedule allows less time for hunting and demands more time for making.
Subsequently and with great serendipity, my studio has now become a donation depository for kind folks that want to contribute to what I do. Almost weekly I am contacted by friends, followers and fans offering to drop off full bags of things they are ready to get rid of but feel a creative eye might still see some value in them. So they reach out to me to take these items off their hands and honorably turn them into art. This unsolicited exchange between artist and art lover is incredibly rewarding. I feel seen, supported and validated that my creative path is reaching an appreciative, collaborative audience.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Any success on the various social media platforms I make use of is due to the patience, time, acceptance and wholehearted gratitude that they even exists. As creatives we are fishing for art loving supporters that may someday become collectors and social media is our fishing pole.
Once I have created an artwork I am only about 40 percent of my way “done”. I still need to bring out the umbrella lights to take multiple photos and video from every angle of it. Then I spend a good deal of time editing the footage through photoshop and an array of photo apps so that they present as clean, well lit, and as professional as possible. I also consider how I will “roll out” my posts. On instagram for instance, images are on a grid of three per line so I like to keep each line visually cohesive. I plan out how often I am going to post in a day, week or month by setting up a preconceived posting calendar. Consistency is hugely important when getting those darn algorithms to work for you.
But perhaps the most effective strategy I have adopted is baring my vulnerability and attaching a highly personal anecdote to each inspired post. I have had the pleasure of taking, on multiple occasions, online, professional development workshops with the highly regarded art coach, Martha Zlatar of ArtMatch, and learned the importance of creating compelling content that tells your story and grabs your audience’s attention in email blasts and social media posts. Martha’s passion for psychology, business and the arts influence her approach on an artist’s clarity of vision, relationship with money, time management, and relating the steps of a “hero’s journey” as in pertains to creative entrepreneurs.
In December of 2021 I busted my knee and it kept me out of my studio for a few months. I wasn’t able to make new art but I wanted to keep my social media followers engaged so I went back into my digital portfolio from the past 15 years and found there were plenty of images that I could spend time improving through my expanded photoshop skills. For the first quarter of that following year I posted an image a day of older artworks, most of them previously sold, but to keep it relevant and interesting I accompanied each one with an intimately thought out composition about their backstory, what was happening in my life at the time of their creation, how their titles related to what was happening with me in the present, the exhibition they were initially created for, how they met their buyer, and what it all means in the big picture of my own life. This effort immediately made a significant difference in how my followers reacted with my posts and my audience more than doubled in a short amount of time. Many of these have led to art sales and/or the introduction to students of my annual workshops. Fortunately my knee healed and I’m actively back in the studio making new art again. Still, I have slowed down production just enough to allow for the time it takes to make a fully well-rounded post for each one and I am thinking of the story I will write to accompany them before they are even ready for their “close up”.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://diannehoffman.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannehoffmanart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianneHoffmanArt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhoffman4art
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@diannehoffman7714/videos
- Other: https://www.deviantart.com/diannehoffman
Image Credits
For the headshot photo of me in my studio photo credit should go to Rory Earnshaw