Discovering Margo Hoff: The Life & Art Of A Modernist Pioneer
Have you ever heard of an artist who found beauty in the mundane, who captured the essence of everyday life with a quiet grace? Margo Hoff, a modernist painter, carved a unique path through the art world, her work a testament to the power of observation and the enduring human spirit.
Margo Hoff, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1912, a city that shaped her early life. She was the second oldest of eight children. Her father, Clarence W. Hoff, was a carpenter, and her upbringing instilled in her a deep appreciation for the world around her. A defining moment came in 1923 when she was stricken with typhoid fever, confining her to bed for the summer. During this period, she turned to art, spending her time drawing and creating paper cutouts. This early immersion in art laid the foundation for a career that would celebrate the human experience.
Category | Details |
---|---|
Full Name | Margo Hoff |
Born | 1910 or 1912, Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Died | August 17, 2008 or 17th in New York |
Parents | Clarence W. Hoff (Carpenter) and Ada Hayes |
Education | Tulsa University (graduated 1931), Art Institute of Chicago, National Academy of Art, SAIC |
Career Highlights | Modernist Painter, Printmaker (Woodblock prints, Lithography, Woodcut). Artist in Residence at Saint Mary's College (1970). |
Artistic Style | Clean, linear style, modernist, abstract, with vibrant colors and dynamic compositions. |
Influences | Mexican Muralists (through travels with George Buehr) |
Major Themes | Human experience, everyday life, urban landscapes (especially Chicago) |
Notable Works | Known for paintings, works on paper, prints, and multiples. Many pieces created during the 20th century, associated with abstract style. |
Exhibitions | Retrospective in New Mexico (first solo exhibition), exhibited at various galleries and museums including Peyton Wright Gallery. |
Associated People | Married to George Buehr (SAIC instructor), Francis Chapin and Kahn (studied with) |
External Link | Artnet - Margo Hoff |
Hoff's artistic journey truly blossomed in Chicago, where she lived from 1933 to 1960. It was here that she honed her skills and developed her distinctive style. She enrolled in the National Academy of Art and later at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). She developed a clean, linear style across various media, including painting and printmaking. She had studied lithography and woodcut with Francis Chapin and Kahn.
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Her artistic vision wasn't limited to formal training. Hoff's life experiences infused her work with depth and meaning. She married SAIC instructor George Buehr, and together they traveled to Mexico on numerous occasions, an experience that influenced her artistic sensibilities, particularly the work of the Mexican muralists. The influence of these experiences can be seen in the breadth of her subject matter, and her understanding of light and space. Red things, kinds of light, and the enduring warmth of everyday life. Hoffs ability to capture the quietly uncanny nature of everyday life is a distinctive quality in her work.
Hoff's work often focused on the human experience, a subject she explored with a keen eye and a compassionate heart. She found magic in the less dramatic, more prosaic elements of reality, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Whether capturing the bustling energy of Chicago's urban life or the quiet patterns of nature, her art celebrated the beauty that surrounds us. She was an American postwar and contemporary painter, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1912.
Hoffs international reputation solidified her place in the art world. Margo Hoff was a thoroughly international artist, both in reputation and in personal philosophy. Her work has been featured in numerous galleries and museums. A retrospective exhibition of her work is planned, with a focus on her canvases from the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. This show will be the first solo exhibition of Hoff's work in New Mexico, presenting a comprehensive view of her artistic development.
Her career also included time as an artist in residence at Saint Mary's College in 1970, leaving an indelible mark on those who encountered her. She was known for her modernist approach, capturing the essence of Chicago's urban life with vibrant colors and dynamic compositions. Her style evolved throughout her career, always rooted in the events, people, and places in her life. The artists original work was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style.
Hoff's legacy continues to resonate with art enthusiasts and scholars alike. Modernist artist Margo Hoff died Sunday, August 17th, in the spartan, Manhattan loft which served as both her painting studio and home. She was 98 years old. In many ways she was a private person, but her work was always a reflection of her life and the world around her. As a child she spent many hours playing outside, finding patterns in nature, a practice she pursued throughout her life, rendering them as bright, textural paintings.
Her unique perspective and the enduring relevance of her subject matter ensure that her art will continue to be admired for generations to come. In addition to oil paintings, she worked with acrylics, charcoal, cut, and pasted canvas. (167.6 152.4 cm). Small editions measuring 46 inches across are available.
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Margo Hoff Untitled (Two Dancers) at 1stDibs

Margo Hoff Artists Modernism in the New City Chicago Artists, 1920

Margo Hoff A Retrospective Peyton Wright Gallery