Basic Information

• About me

  What drew me initially into ceramics, and then water color, acrylics and mix media is their earthy organic nature. For me, there is a primordial (implicit) reaction every time my hands mix clay, pre pare a wash or gather objects for later use. Take clay as an example. It’s more than the obvious mixing of soil and water, kneading them like a loaf of bread and suddenly having this ball of clay that you can shape into anything you want. It’s as if Iam connecting pieces of a cosmic puzzle; one part artist, scientist, philosopher, mathematician, together, and seeing where the journey takes me. When I start a piece-formal/abstract, I ask myself as the artist and then as someone who shall view my work, how does the work convey the sensation (emotion) of time, space and colour? For me, the experience of any visual art is experiencing the convergence of time, space and colour at the same instance-they continue to move and develop as they are examined, thus fostering meaning and longevity. As you move through time and space, your experiences and perceptions change and what you may or may have taken from the viewed work changes too. I also take into consideration that not everything turns out as expected, pieces break. Ideas go flat. The one thing that is a constant is the need for patience. “It is not enough to have a good mind, the main thing is to use it well”-Descartes. What constitutes well? To me, it is using your passion/talent to support/advocate your vision. My vision and therefore my interests and motivations to create ceramics, water colours or mix media is a direct result of my desire to inspire those who view my work that it is indeed possible and we as individuals(generally)and as inter-dependent communities(specifically) can create a world without chaos filled with peace, justice and happiness. One of the ways to accomplish this, in addition to being a goal of mine, is to integrate the arts and sciences as they once where. The potential for exchange and development of ideas through this integration to me is the essence of what any artist/scientist and their art/research is. That is to be open to and embrace change, to gather inspiration from everything and fear nothing, to afford one the opportunity to think outside the box. Another way I can service my vision-and hopefully expand the definition of what constitutes a genre of art-is to act as an “artistic sponge”, to incorporate all of my influences-(besides the above) such as music, food, gardening, writing into my art and life to show that there is no disconnect between the two, and that by meshing them all together, all become more vital, real and relevant. All of this convergence has caused me to shift my approaches to the various mediums that I work in. The most notable to and for me has been with ceramics. My inspiration has shifted from an Arts and Crafts style to one that embraces mathematical forms, architectural concepts and forms and historical narratives. The same can be said for my painting and mix media work. This was different from how I was taught… My instructors wanted me to master throwing bowls and vases, and I rebelled. I wanted to do big esoteric conceptual pieces. We butted heads, but this was an excellent experience for me. Almost from the beginning of my ceramic career, I had to be able to defend my work on an intellectual basis and did so. As far as how and why I select materials, techniques, themes so forth that I use in my work, to a certain extant I let the piece dictate what it needs, though there really is never one over riding factor involved. I view clay as I would fresh canvas. Not as a means to an end, as much as a way to accumulate all of the divergent influences that an artist experiences on a daily basis. To bring them together and somehow make sense out of them to the point where what you are creating shall be seen as a conduit between the secular and spiritual. Another influence on my art and life is music. Weather it is John Coltrane, T-Rex, Mott the Hopple, Marcia Ball, Aol, the Roots, Tribe call Quest, Hank Williams, Koko Taylor, Miles, The Dead, The Carter Family, Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, Kool moe Dee, Statasonic, Joss stone, the Meters etc., the right song can point out a mistake or a different direction, change your mind, or reinforce a stated position. To and for me, music is an essential collaborator in the creative process. My knowledge and reverence for music is sooo vast, that I can relate to just about anybody anywhere just by burning a CD. This gives me the advantage of people being able to relate to me as an artist and my work on an intimate level that other artist are not able to do so. Artistic influences include; Impressionism, Cubism, DADa, Fauvism. Favorite artists include; Monet, Homer, Klee, Miro, Rivera, Moore, David, Caravaggio, Rothko, Raphael, Marc, Grosz.

• Resume

  Steven Soffer
  236 Bruce Ave. 869-1118 (Home)
  Shreveport, LA 71105 834-9938 (Cell)
  Painting and Sculpture CV:
  Education:
  Associate in Honors, Community College of Philadelphia
  B.A. in History, Arcadia University
  Selected Exhibitions
  2011 When dreams escape, lilas bakery, Shreveport LA
  2009 Sound and Vision; Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Shreveport, LA
  2008 Recent Works exhibit; Prima Tazza Café; Shreveport, LA Juried Exhibitions
  2010 triennial art exhibition, Meadows Museum, Shreveport, LA
  2008 The Money Show; artspace, Shreveport, LA
  Liberty Drifting - Coolspace artspace; Shreveport, LAContributing Artist/Group Exhibits
  2011 impromptu exhibition, artspace, Shreveport, LA
  2010 the green show, lilas bakery, contributing artist, shreveport, LA
  2009 Silent Auction; Ernest’s Restaurant; Shreveport, LA
  Meadows Museum Fundraiser; Shreveport, LA
  2007 West Edge Artists’ Co-op exhibit; East Bank Gallery, Bossier City, LA
  Art Mavens of Meadows Museum Exhibit; Turner Art Center, Shreveport, LA
  2006, 2008 Deck the Halls; artspace, Shreveport, LA
  2005 West Edge Artists’ Co-op art auction; Fairfield Studios, Shreveport, LA
  2005 - 2009
  West Edge Artists’ Co-op Citywide Gallery Program exhibits
  Columbia Café, Shreveport, LA
  Bistró 6301, Shreveport, LA
  A Stone’s Throw Café, Bossier City, LA
  Marjorie Lyons Playhouse; Centenary College, Shreveport, LA
  Fairfield Studios/House Concert Series, Shreveport, LA
  American Rose Center, Shreveport, LA
  Horseshoe Casino & Hotel, Bossier City, LA
  Christus Schumpert Center for Integrative Medicine, Shreveport, LAMemberships:
  Former Member, West Edge Artists’ Co-op, Shreveport, LA
  Roster Artist, SRAC. Shreveport, La. Teaching Positions:
  2007 - 2009
  Arts in Education Instructor, Artbreak; Shreveport Regional Arts Council, Shreveport, LA
  Arts in Education Instructor, artspace Funatorium; Shreveport Regional Arts Council, Shreveport, LA
  2007 - 2008
  Arts in Education Instructor, Art Smart; Shreveport Regional Arts Council, Shreveport, LA
  2008
  Arts in Education Instructor, Music as the Muse Program; Shreveport Regional Arts Council, Shreveport, LA
  2007
  Art Instructor, SPAR After School Program; Shreveport Regional Arts Council, Shreveport, LA