Let's Be Human To Each Other
By Matthew Hoffman
The Center for Book and Paper Arts Papermaker's Garden at Columbia College Chicago welcomes its inaugural public art project by notable artist and designer Matthew Hoffman. His installation of 15 brightly colored camp signs that feature text fragments is exemplary of his many earlier public installation projects at venues such as Pitchfork and Comfort Station. While the warm colorful palette is playfully subversive against a late winter backdrop, it is the affirming language of the signs that opens up a real dimension for poetic engagement.
Do you know that song, that when you hear it, it grabs you and takes you to a moment? A vivid memory you can’t escape feeling. Maybe it’s a summer, or a relationship. It might pump you up, and you start sprinting. Or maybe it crumples you, and takes you back to that night you sobbed in your car.
On my best days, that’s what I want my work to resonate. Personally, I want to experience moments. To really feel all the highs and lows. In my work, I want to create moments for others. I do my thing, and they are able to feel whatever they need to in that moment. - Matthew Hoffman
LET’S BE HUMAN TO EACH OTHER
LET’S BE OK WITH BEING HUMAN
LET’S BE
SO LET'S BE AWKWARD, SILLY
LET'S GET A LITTLE CRAZY
OR A LOT
WE'RE ALL IN THIS THING
SO STOP FIGHTING & START
TOGETHER
DON’T CENSOR MUTE EDIT FIGHT
AND PLEASE DON’T EVER HIDE
YOU
YOU'RE SCARED? COME ON,
LET'S BE BRAVE TOGETHER
RAWWWR!
BEING HUMAN EQUALS HOPE
AND BEING COMPLETELY NUTS
& IT'S OK
INCREDIBLE CAN KNOCK US OFF
AND MOMENTS CAN BRING US TO
OUR FEET
THE STORIES YOU’VE BEEN TOLD
CAN BE REWRITTEN EVERY DAY
UP TO YOU
WE WANT TO CRY WITH YOU
TO SYMPATHIZE & UNRAVEL
TO BE HERE
YOU'RE ENOUGH. PROMISE.
PLEASE SEE OTHER SIDE OF SIGN
IT'S TRUE
LET'S CELEBRATE ONE ANOTHER
AND BASK IN BEING HUMAN
CONGRATS!
REMINISCE ON THOSE MOMENTS
BUT THEY FADE, SO MAKE NEW
MAKE NEW
WE ALL GO THROUGH ALL SORTS
WEAR IT LIKE A BADGE & FLEX
OF THINGS
WE WANT TO CHEER WITH YOU
TO JUMP OUT OF OUR CHAIRS
& HOLLER
HOW ABOUT IT?
WANNA FEEL?
BE HUMAN?
A bright spot in the grey winter.
Rough sketchs. VERY rough sketchs, but enough to get the idea across.
Quick mockup to make sure my brain & reality would combine at the same point.
All signs were laser cut on my fancy new machine.
An incredible crew stained these pieces along narrow hallways.
Constructed them back to back.
And assembled them. When you need to, you just make it work. No matter what.
Thanks to everyone who slung a screw gun, nail gun, or slege hammer: April Sheridan, Kelly Schmidt, MaryClare Butler, Brett Brady, Amy Leners, Angela Davis Fegan, Jillian Brushchera, Brent Koehn, Leo Selvaggio, Justin Botz, & Yihan Chang.
