From scrunched paper to pop sculpture

Fraser Hoffe remembers his grandfather, now 89, telling stories and drawing pictures for him. “It was a part of our culture when I was growing up. It was just something he did with his grand kids.”

Fraser, who is exhibiting work with fellow artist Nick Blackburn at Vincents Gallery in Wellington until 8 June, visits his grandfather most weeks. He plans to photograph all of his works in the exhibition so he can show them to his grandfather.

“I’m also going to paint the view from his window and make him a sculpture,” Fraser says. “It’s an amazing view – big hills, a big sky and a gap between the hills where you can see the ferry passing by.”

Fraser’s “pop sculptures”, as he calls them, are paintings he has done and then scrunched into a particular shape; hardened it using Shellak varnish; supported it with papier mache as a backing; and then framed the resulting work.

Scrunching a simple scrap of paper

It’s a process, he says, that evolved from scrunching a simple scrap of paper.

“I started doing it about 18 months ago,” he explains. “I’ve always been fascinated by scrunching up paper, playing with it and creating something new. The shapes remind me of different things – like walking, places I know, destinations, climbing.”

Fraser says he is constantly experimenting and trying a range of forms and materials, such as coffee sacking, grass-weaved mats from the $2 Shop and different types of paper.

Talking about his art at the exhibition opening, Fraser touches the framed works and shows how they can spin on the central nail that attaches them to the wall. He also stands inside and rotates the large and colourful mobiles he’s created.

Touching his paintings

“People can touch my paintings,” he says. “They look fragile but they’re actually quite strong.”

Fraser started coming to Vincents Art Workshop in 2009. He goes there every week day except Thursdays (a women’s only day at Vincents), when he goes to Pablos Art Studios.

“Before Vincents, I was homeless for about 15 years … living in boarding houses and moving around a lot. Just survival really. It got to the stage when I needed my own flat and once I had that, everything became easier.

“Vincents gave me a place to come to every day and it focussed my energy on being creative and making art.

“I was able to gather together all the things I liked about myself and glue them together. It’s taken a while for the walls around me to come down and my artwork has been an important part of that process.

“At Vincents, I found out what I enjoyed doing and set goals for myself. It’s good to be around people you can trust – people who are positive and know about discrimination and low self-esteem. People who have found a place where they can be themselves and let their personality shine.

“For me, Vincents is an emotional base. It’s like a family, a place where I can always come and have fun.”

Goal to become an art tutor

One of Fraser’s goals is to become an art tutor. “I want to become an artist with the knowledge, life experience and skills that I can share with others.

“What I’ve created at Vincents is a reflection of the creative freedom we have here. The tutors are people I can talk to about my work or ask for information. They’re very knowledgeable about the environment at Vincents and everyone’s different creative processes.

“I prefer knowledge and experience to be shared. It’s a lot richer than being told, taught and tested.”

On the day the exhibition opened at Vincents Gallery, Fraser had been at Pablos Art Studios making a coffee-sack sculpture. “It’s my first commission. It feels good to have someone wanting me to make something for them.”

Fraser has been in several group shows at ROAR! gallery, which is part of Pablos Art Studios. And in September, he has a solo show there.

“I learn things at Pablos too. I help out in the gallery and they’ve got different resources. I like being active and working with other people.”