sculpture & assemblage

In 2019, Hochman became intrigued with the proliferation of plastic waste and scores of empty spray paint cans littering his studio. He subsequently transformed plastic scavenged from the local dump into monochromatic and camouflage bas-reliefs and free-standing sculptures. Plastic bottles and spray paint cans became glittery still lifes. The objects he produced — his first foray into the third dimension since his study of ceramics — highlighted the tension between discarded base materials and their seemingly alchemical transformation. Here, as in his paintings, Hochman’s fascination with the Japanese concept of  wabi-sabi  is evident. Although it defies easy translation,  wabi-sabi has been described by writer Leonard Koren as “materiality, pared down to essence, with the poetry intact.”