Lotte Hofmann (1907-1981) was one of Germany’s most interesting and progressive textile artists. Influenced to some extent by Bauhaus principles, after many years as a commercial art teacher in Oberrot, south Germany, she established her own studio there (Werkstatt Loho) in 1946. Here she experimented with innovative techniques and fresh vivid abstract and representational designs, often combining brilliant colour harmonies with relief, resulting in a very physical sense of the fibres used.
As well as big tapestries and wall hangings for public and domestic spaces, she made a variety of other designs for cushions, bed spreads, curtains and a range of delightful Calder-like toy animals. Hofmann’s textiles, a rich sculptural painting in fabric, embraced so many different disciplines, her work humane and rigorous.
David Whiting |
