ALAN SOFFER
ARTIST’S STATEMENT- ENCAUSTIC JEWELS
Finding my way out of a thick, dense forest of thoughts, emotions, and visual impressions in my psyche is what I am doing in the world of abstract expressionist painting. Sometimes I begin without a plan, but not with these small encaustic pieces. Making the mind still, then waiting for a feeling of color, tinted by my mood and the surrounding atmosphere is the starting place for the adventure. It is truly an adventure, as I never know what will be uncovered. I’m not thinking pretty, just what is real for me. And that can be surprising. Bringing the painting to conclusion, however, certainly is different in that it requires intellect. But only at that point in the work do I reconsider intuitive actions. Reduction and distillation of buried and layered statements is the path out of the thicket to the clearing.
These small works deal with a general concept of space, as in galactic, infinite universe. Then, slipping into the microscopic dimension, which is a similar sort of space, in the opposite direction. Somehow, somewhere I try to find a pattern or structure emerging and unifying this void. It is the patterns that give the art its logic. When all of this works I like to think of these works in wax and pigment as little jewels.
Born: Philadelphia, PA
studio/residence: Penna.
Abstract Expressionist painter
Working In: encaustics, oil, acrylic
Museum collections:
National Museum of American Jewish History
Sulmainy Museum, Kurdistan
Books:
Upon Thy Doorposts, Belle Rosenbaum—one page, 1993 color plates
New American Paintings, Steve Zevitas--four pages, 1999 color plates, and bio.
Periodicals:
Art Matters: Sept. 2004, one page---Pulling Canvas, Wanda Walls
Art Matters: March 2003, two pages—Parallel lives, perpendicular styles, Buzz Miller
Style Magazine: March/ April 2001, two pages--The Dark Continent, Dr. Lori Verderame
Doylestown Patriot: Jan 2001, two pages Artmobile Tour, John Gatti
County Calendar: Sept. 1995, one page The Chester County Art Association, staff
Pennsylvania Dental Journal: May/June 1994, two pages—Curious Narratives, Dr. R.Galeone
Art Matters: Dec 1993, one page—Doctors as Artists, Diana Myers-Bennet Roberts
Art Matters: April 1992, one page---Evoking Origins, Carolyn Roland
ADA News: March 1989 one page-- Pennsylvanian seeks heroes of dentistry, Stacy Fisch
Art Matters: Feb 1988, one page—More Reviews, Joy Gasta
Jewish Exponent: May 1985, one page-- Elemental Threads, staff
Inside Magazine: Winter 1985, one page—The beauty of Holiness, Sissy Carpey
Textile Arts Society, Vol II, no. 23, one page—National Museum of American Jewish History
Awards:
1. CAC clay sculpture 1987
2. Jane Law Gallery watercolor 1995
3. Photography Open color print 1997
4. Printmaking í98 collaged monotype 1998
5. Images í98 collaged painting 1998
6. Small Works/ Big Ideas painting 2001
7. Members show/ MLAC painting 2002
8. In Person/ CAC encaustic painting 2004
9. Best of Scottsdale contemporary painting 2005
Exhibitions:
a condensed resume
JURIED & INVITATIONAL SHOWS YEAR
IN PERSON CAC Gallery Wallingford, PA 2006
ABSTRACTION-4 PERSON Creation Art Gallery Juno Beach, FL
OIL + WAX Robert Roman Gallery Scottsdale, AZ
HOT WAX and COOL ARTISTS Haydon Art Center Lincoln, NE
CANVASSING THE COAST BMS Gallery Princeton, NJ 2005
OIL + WAX Siano Gallery Philadelphia, PA
SMALL WORKS Rosenfeld Gallery Philadelphia, PA
OIL + WAX River Tree Arts Kennebunk, MA
INAUGARAL Creation Art Gallery Juno Beach, Fl
IN PERSON CAC Gallery Wallingford, PA
OIL + WAX N. Cal. Arts League Novato, CA
THE GESTURE-movement & color Robert Roman Gallery Scottsdale, AZ 2004
SUMMER SHOW Garrubbo Bazan Gallery West Chester, PA
GALLERY ARTISTS Artjaz Gallery Philadelphia, PA
TOXIC LANDSCAPES LBI Foundation Loveladies, NJ
ABSTRACT EXHIBITION CCAA West Chester, PA
IN PERSON* CAC Wallingford, PA
GROUP SHOW Posh Gallery Media, PA 2003
SMALL WORKS CAC Wallingford , PA
SNAPSHOT Aldrich Museum Ridgefield, CONN 2002
REFLECT & RESPOND Krasdale NYC, NY
PAISAGES TOXICOS Jose Marti Library Havana, CUBA
JULY-AUG SHOW Parellels Gallery Phila, PA
JURIED SHOW PAFA Phila, PA
WORKS ON PAPER Sketch Club Phila, PA
62ND ANNUAL EXHIBITION Woodmere Museum. Chestnut Hill, PA
REFLECT & RESPOND Burlington College Mount Holly, NJ
FACULTY SHOW CAC Wallingford, PA
ARTIE PARTIE DCCA Wilmington, DE 2001
ART OF THE STATE State Museum . Harrisburgh, PA
TOXIC LANDSCAPES Chatam College Pittsburgh, PA
ACTS OF KINDNESS Drexel University Phila, PA
SNAPSHOT Arcadia College Jenkintown, PA
URBAN BLIGHT Open Space Gallery Allentown, PA 2000
CECNTERFOLD Lesle Powell Gallery Lawtron, OKLA
ELEPHANT ART DaVinci Art Alliance Phila, PA
SNAPSHOT Institrute Of Contemporary Art Baltimore, MD
GRITTY CITY Borowsky Gallery Phila, PA 1999
NEW AMERICAN PAINTINGS Open Studios Press Wellesley, MA
IMAGE í98 * Hub Galleries State College, PA 1998
SUMMER EXHIBITION PENNA ACAD FINE ARTS PHILA, PA 1997
FIN de SIECLE Del. Ctr Contemporary Art Wilmington, DE
ì Delaware StateUniv . Dover, DE
DOWNTOWN INSTALLATIONS Berkshire CAC North Adams, MA
TINY WORKS Project Gallery Wichata, KS
LARGE DIMENSION Art Resources St. Paul, MN
PRINTWORK í96 Barrett House Poughkeepsie, NY 1996
SUPER VISIONS CCAA West Chester, PA 1995
MULTI-MEDIA EXHIBITION Yord College York, PA
ACROSS BORDERS/SIN FRONTERAS Art Museum Of Americas Washington, DC 1994
RIENKS MEMORIAL: COMPETITION Gallery West Alexandria, VA
NATIONAL PRINT EXHIBITION Harper College Palatine, IL
SELF PORTRAITS Del. Ctr. Cont. Arts Wilmington, DE
ARGENTINA INVITATIONAL Museo Estudios Historicos Odontalgia, BUENOS AIRES
A PRIVATE SCREENING Egane Gallery New York, NY
OPEN JURIED SHOW Abington Art Center Jenkintown, PA 1992
ART AT THE ARMORY 33RD St Armory Phila, PA
AMERICAN, EUROPEAN/FOLK ART City Hall Phila , PA 1989
ARTWEST Art Center Jackson Hole, WY 1988
NATIONAL PAPER/CLAY Memphis State Univ.. Memphis, TN
GROUP CLAY SHOW Sande Webster Gallery Phila, PA
FOLK FESTIVAL U. Of Penna.. Phila, PA 1981
JEWISH RITUAL ART Balch Institute Phila, PA 1979
ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS:
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONS Robert Roman Gallery Scottsdale, AZ 2006
INFUSION Rosenfeld Gallery Philadelphia, PA 2005
FUSION/ INFUSION Robert Roman Gallery Scottsdale, AZ 2005
OSMOSIS Chester County Art Assoc West Chester, PA 2005
ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONS Southern Exposure Gallery N. Palm Beach, FL 2004
SAN MIGUEL SUITE Atlantic City Art Center Atlantic City, NJ 2003
PROGRESSION Widener University Museum Chester, PA 2003
CHROMA Parallels Gallery Philadelphia, PA 2002
TOWARD THE SUBLIME Southern Exposure Gallery W. Palm Beach, FL 2000
DECONSTRUCTIONS OF THE LIFE CYCLE Hoyt Institute New Castle, PA 2000
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONS Artjaz Gallery Philadelphia, PA 2000
MAKING IT UP Brown Art Gallery Baltimore, MD 1999
NEW WORK Artistís House Philadelphia, PA 1998
DECONSTRUCTIONS Fulton-Burt Gallery Sarasota, FL 1997
CONCERNING CREATION Chester County Art Assoc West Chester, PA 1995
CURIOUS NARRATIVES The Borowsky Gallery Philadelphia, PA 1994
BABYLON REVISITED Nexus Resource Room Philadelphia, PA 1992
EVOKING ORIGINS Del. Ctr. Contemporary Art Wilmington, DE 1992
SUMMER SELECTIONS Larsen Dulman Gallery New Hope, PA 1989
ONE + ONE + ONE Community Art Center Wallingford, PA 1988
ELEMENTAL THREADS Natl. Museum Amer. Jewish History Philadelphia, PA 1985
TEACHING & WORKSHOPS: ENCAUSTIC PAINTING; JOURNALLING FOR ARTISTS; ABSTRACT PAINTING
BIOGRAPHY:
Alan Soffer has been making art since 1973 in a variety of modalities. Originally, he was known for ceramic sculpture, particularly, religious ritual objects and later for work about ancient healing and the deconstruction and fragmentation of images. His work as teacher and curator continues to augment his primary passion for abstract expressionist painting which began in 1995.
His studies in sculpture and painting include Arrowment School in Tenn., 1981 with Lew Snyder; State U of New York, Oswego with Richard Zakin; Parsons School of Design with Andrea Gill, 1983; Bennington College with Sandy Stone; Corcoran Museum School of Art with Paul Soldner, Peters Valley Art Center 1986 with Bennett Bean; Penna. Academy of Fine Arts, 1988, 1996, 1999; Ringling School of Design. His direction in the abstract arena has been materially nurtured with Professor Moe Brooker.
The work is clearly influenced by abstract expressionists of the past century. Most importantly, one sees some Rauschenberg, Rivers, Frankenthauler, Motherwell, Chagall, Dubuffet, Keifer and Polke to name a few. The body of work that defined Soffer in the early nineties was about ancient medicine and dentistry. This was a natural by product of his practicing dentistry for over thirty years, while making art during much of that time as well. The current emphasis on encaustics is a perfect marriage of his two loves- sculpture and painting.
The other major direction of his work in the nineties was ‘the life cycle’, which was inspired through the teachings of Joseph Campbell, who has remained Soffer’s strongest influence. This work includes extensive treatment of creation theories, life and deconstruction, and finally rebirth. These subjects required research into science, primitive cultures and the ancient world, before, digesting and expressing the most salient features visually.
Soffer’s exhibitions have traveled to Argentina, Cuba, Kurdistan, and throughout the US. Important exhibitions have been at Widener University, Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, National Museum of American Jewish History, Hoyt Institute, Atlantic City Art Center, Sande Webster Gallery, York College, Penn State College, Penna. Academy of Fine Arts, the Print Center, Parallels Gallery, State Museum of Penna., Rosenfeld Gallery, and Robert Roman Gallery to name a few.
His use of encaustics began in 1998 and continues to be an integral feature of his oeuvre. Reduction and distillation both buries and exposes bits of images and sentiments infused in the multilayered paintings. The ancient technique of hot pigmented wax, which he has helped to revitalize, remains a unique vocabulary for expressing space through its inherent translucency. And space, from the microscopic to the galactic, is a frequent theme.
I agree with Carter Ratcliff’s point of view, when he said, “It’s a mistake to take the artist’s statements at face value. These statements are products of the imagination and so need to be interpreted along with the art.” With that idea in mind, I am including the following remarks by three art critics.
VICTORIA DONOHUE- PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER [2003, Widener University]
“Soffer is serious artist with a truly poetic gift for making his paintings coalesce into visions of quite remarkable beauty. He is a colorist and very versatile in this; he uses color exuberantly and paints seemingly with abandon, yet his results are nonetheless strongly rhythmic. Such paintings project an engaging physicality, even though they rely on swift effects to declare their presence as the shapes move back and forth between realistic portrayals of the human figure and abstraction- with the accent on abstraction.
R.B. STRAUSS- METRO PAPER [2002 Parallels Gallery]
“Layers of color lend his art a sense of depth while the choreography of his brushwork yields a dynamic flow from one painting to the next. This sense of traveling into uncharted territory is what makes his work so unique.
ANNE FABBRI- STYLE MAGAZINE [LBI Foundation]
“Highlights of the show created by the Puffin Foundation (Toxic Landscapes) include three haunting Soffer paintings that depict environments within the lifecycle. He finishes the surface with pencil, paint photographs in these mixed media drawings and collages.
JANET PURCELL- THE TIMES [Canvassing the Coast]
“Soffer reaches down into his memories, in the manner of abstract expressionism. Symbolistic strokes fly around on the surface and drama is in every stroke.