Andrew Hoeppner

• July 7 - August 8, 2016
• Opening: Thursday, July 7

Hoeppner’s practice is intuitive. He allows instinct and discovery to guide his process. Like a collection of sketches, this new body of work expresses a rawness and sense of urgency. Every notable sculptural decision is apparent, and he celebrates the alchemic beauty of glaze with wildly opulent surfaces developed specifically for each piece.

The semiotic connections between the sculptures reflect his current interests in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting as well as American folk art, engaging the audience with approachable, real-life subjects and eliciting equal concern for object and sentiment.

Hoeppner states, “Monkey God is a metaphor I use to describe the perception of self. This exhibition explores the definition of humanity. What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to have language, the ability to read, think, and write? How have we developed a collective consciousness and the power to intuit? What makes me a man, and you a woman? What is our relationship to the natural world? In their own way, each object is an attempt to answer these questions.”

About the Artist

Originally from California, Andrew Hoeppner received a BFA in Ceramics from Sierra Nevada College in 2011. He then pursued post-baccalaureate studies at the University of Montana and completed an internship and international residency at Medalta in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. In 2014, Andrew graduated with a MFA in Sculpture from the University of Washington’s 3D4M program and traveled to Vallauris, France, progressing his work at the Vallauris Residency while studying the ceramic collection of Pablo Picasso and the paintings of Henri Matisse. Andrew is currently an Artist in Residence at Seattle’s Pottery Northwest, the Pacific Northwest’s premier ceramics facility. He was just awarded a 2016 Fellowship from Artist Trust.