Skip to main content
  • Request Info
  • Visit
  • Apply Now
  • Give Now
UArts Logo
  • A professor instructs a student on a technology tablet in a classroom Academics
  • Student works on a product design light Admissions
  • UArts students perform Guys and Dolls (Arts Bank Theater, 2018) Photo Credit - Paola Nogueras Life @ UArts
  • Student dances and practices in a studio About
  • A professor instructs a student on a technology tablet in a classroom Academics
    • Undergraduate Programs
    • Graduate Programs
    • Pre-College Programs
    • Professional & Continuing Education
    • PhD in Creativity
  • Student works on a product design light Admissions
    • First-Year Students
    • Transfer Students
    • International Undergraduate Students
    • Graduate Students
    • Parents & Families
    • Tuition & Financial Aid
  • UArts students perform Guys and Dolls (Arts Bank Theater, 2018) Photo Credit - Paola Nogueras Life @ UArts
    • Visit, Tour, Connect
    • Housing
    • Dining Services
    • Academic Services & Advising
    • Philadelphia & UArts
    • Activities & Organizations
    • Health & Wellness
  • Student dances and practices in a studio About
    • Leadership
    • Board of Trustees
    • Mission & Values
    • Campus Map & Directions
    • Albert M. Greenfield Makerspace
    • Laurie Wagman Recording Studios
    • Galleries & Performance Spaces
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility
    • Careers @ UArts
    • Unicorns
    • Contact Us
  • Portfolios & Auditions

    • Dance Auditions
    • Music Auditions
    • Theater Auditions
    • Visual Art, Design & Film
    • Writing Portfolios
  • University Centers

    • Center for Immersive Media
    • Lightbox Film Center
    • Philadelphia Art Alliance
    • Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery
  • News & Events

    • All News
    • Calendar of Events
  • Alumni

    • Benefits & Resources
    • Join UArts Connect
    • Giving
    • Scholarships & Endowments
  • Apply Now
  • Give Now
  • Request Info
  • Visit
digital still with colorful digital landscape across black background

New Typologies: David Hartt, James Hoff and Kahlil Robert Irving

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. University Centers
  3. New Typologies: David Hartt, James Hoff and Kahlil Robert Irving
On This Page

 

 

Oct. 21-Dec. 15, 2022

Opening Reception: Oct. 21, 5-7:30pm
Art Alliance

 

The Philadelphia Art Alliance at University of the Arts is pleased to present New Typologies, a three-person exhibition by David Hartt, James Hoff and Kahlil Robert Irving that presents innovative investigations of landscape tropes while providing commentary on today’s complex issues.  These are works comprised of allusive signs and geolocations, delineating societal stances that illuminate while they critique.  

David Hartt’s work unpacks cultural and economic complexities, exploring how historic ideologies persist or transform over time. In his film Et in Arcadia Ego, shot on location at modernist architect Phillip Johnson’s Glass House, Hartt uses its pastoral setting to unpack Johnson’s complicated history with fascism. This version of an idyllic “Arcadia” is inhabited only by Olimpia, played by Tomeka Reid, the composer of the score, who is guarded by a blind Black giant, Orion. By centering bodies outside of the dominant narrative, Hartt’s use of archetypes forges a new and uniquely compelling alternative.

James Hoff's practice encompasses multidisciplinary painting, sound, and performance which uses manipulated digital information to produce hybrid forms. His abstract paintings derive from distortions of data through a computer virus, which resemble lyrical abstraction. In other series, landscape images are etched into a copper and fiberglass laminate following the procedure of circuit board production. A considerably more dystopic version of landscape is represented by Hoff’s and his collaborator DeForrest Brown, Jr.’s video HOBO UFO (v. The New World). Compiled through internet searches and archival footage (such as the police brutality in Birmingham), it testifies to a sobering and frightening vision of a collapsing state. Via video field recordings and detourned commercial mapping software, HOBO UFO presents a graphic glimpse of American race relations to devastating effect. By using crowd sourced protests and the UFO as a metaphorical vehicle for traversing geopolitical trouble zones through Google’s Street View (locating the 114 killings of black people since the pandemic’s start, information now tragically outdated), along with Brown, Jr.’s mechanized techno jazz percussive score, the pair produce a sobering document.

Kahlil Robert Irving creates objects and environments mixing ceramic sculptures and digital fact gathering. Initially the ceramics were emblazoned with decals mimicking urban refuse. Later, those works were surrounded by environments of site-specific wallpaper. In contrast to the ceramic debris, these scrolls of digital culture are mined from Image archives of Black lives, remembrance and celebration, creating an experience like navigating AI or CGI-built city environments or physical and metaphysical spaces coexisting simultaneously. Speckled jacquard weavings juxtaposed with images of the sky, take on the vastness of the cosmos while retaining their earthly references. As Irving states “I’m interested in the capacity of a material to tell contemporary, secular, and political narratives, especially with a material that exists in such a broad, architecturally based engagement, but that can also be used to make art.”

 

All of our exhibitions are free and open to the public.

Digital film still showing a glass house and person wearing a gold helmet sitting on a couch
Image of artwork made with collaged images and words from google searches
artwork showing bare black trees in a group against a light pink background

Left: (top) David Hartt, Et in Arcardia Ego, 2022, digital film. Courtesy the artist and David Nolan Gallery, New York; (bottom):Kahlil Robert Irving, Means_Angles_Integers (The weight of media) #8, 2021, vinyl, aluminum, 20 x 48 inches. Courtesy the artist.

Right: James Hoff, Useless Landscape 53, 2017, Copper Etching on Fiberglass, Aluminum, Wood, Lacquer. Courtesy the artist.

Installation view of framed collage work on wallpaper made of a film still

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of a collage work framed and hung on white wall

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view showing a large monitor with film image of sky and trees in center, with film still wallpaper behind

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of large monitor with a film still of a house displayed, against wall with film still wallpaper

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of large monitor with film still of building and plant in front of wall with film still wallpaper

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of large monitor with film still of bottles to the left and framed collage work on wall to right with film-still wall paper behind

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of large monitor to the left with film still of store shelves and a framed collage work on wall to right with film still wallpaper behind

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of large monitor to left with film still of store counter and a framed collage on wall to right with film still wallpaper behind

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Angled installation view of large monitor to right and closed ornate iron doors to left with bench in middle of room

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of gallery with large monitor to the side with film still of landscape and framed collage on far wall next to closed metal doors

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of large monitor with graphic landscape on screen, framed collage work on far wall next to closed metal doors

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation image of wall paper surrounding a window featuring a film still of a building with a framed collage work on top to the right

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of gallery wall with framed rectangular collage to the right and closed metal doors to the left

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of gallery with copper printed artwork on one wall, images of blue sky on a shelf on another and a large textile work occupying the center floor space of the room

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of gallery with a series of sky images on a shelf on back wall, copper printed landscape plates on right wall and large textile work on floor in foreground

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of large floor textile with a work hanging on either side at far end of gallery

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view with large textile work on platform on floor, fireplace in background and a landscape work hanging on the walls facing one another

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of gallery with large textile work on floor pedestal in center fo room, and three other works hanging on the back and side wall

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of gallery with  work hanging no the back wall, divided by a doorway, and large textile work in center of floor

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of gallery with three large windows in background, on artwork hanging in-between two of them, and large textile work in center floor of room

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view with three large windows in background, a copper plate work in-between two of the windows and a large textile work in center of room

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view, angled, with large textile work in center floor, and three artworks hanging soon back and side wall

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of corner of gallery with three copper panels hanging on one side, a shelf of sky images hanging no other and textile floor work in foreground

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of gallery showing fireplace in background, large floor textile work in foreground and two collections of works hanging on side wall

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Close up of copper plate work featuring woods hanging on white wall

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

installation view of framed image of a plant on a white wall

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of triptych of copper plates printed with a wooded mountain scene

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Close-up installation view of triptych of copper plates printed with wooded mountain scene hung no a white wall

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Close up installation image of a print of a film still with a large potted plant and white door

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of a film still projected on back wall featuring a portico and landscape with three chairs lined up for viewing

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of film still projected on wall featuring water and trees landscape with three chairs lined up for viewing

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of film still projected on back wall featuring the Interior of the glass house with three chairs in front for viewing

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of film projected on back wall featuring a Black woman writing

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of film projected on back wall featuring a large Black giant kneeling in a garden

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view from angle showing film projected on back wall featuring a portico/building on a watery landscape

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of film projected on gallery wall, showing a Black giant standing in water towering over a building

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of a copper plate printed with a wooded scene hanging on a freestanding white wall

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of galleries with a copper plate printed work hanging on two parallel walls and rocks situated on the floor

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view showing two different copper plate works on parallel walls, a ceramic sculpture on pedestal and rock artworks around the floor

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of copper plate printed with mountain landscape hanging on white freestanding wall with rock artworks on ground

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of gallery with copper plate printed with mountain scene on back wall, another copper print on side wall and rock artworks dispersed throughout

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Angled installation view of gallery with two copper plate artworks hanging one two different walls and rock artworks spread on floor

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of gallery with a horizontal copper plate triptych on far wall, a ceramic structure on pedestal in foreground, a smaller copper plate work to the right and rock artwork on floor throughout

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of horizontal triptych copper plate landscape work with ceramic sculpture in foreground and rock artwork around floor

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Close-up installation view of copper plate print depicting woods

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of collaged ceramic sculpture with two tower-like attachments

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of projection in gallery depicting film still of a street

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of film projected in gallery depicting an aerial view of New York City

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of film projected in gallery showing a black woman looking out, holding her phone

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of film projected in gallery showing an aerial image of a site with a person's name super-imposed

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of film projected in gallery depicting armored and armed officers walking down a street

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation image of film projected in gallery showing a street scene at night with smoke and fire and people behind shields and structures

Installation view of New Typologies. Photo: Joseph Hu.

Installation view of framed collage work on wallpaper made of a film still
Installation view of a collage work framed and hung on white wall
Installation view showing a large monitor with film image of sky and trees in center, with film still wallpaper behind
Installation view of large monitor with a film still of a house displayed, against wall with film still wallpaper
Installation view of large monitor with film still of building and plant in front of wall with film still wallpaper
Installation view of large monitor with film still of bottles to the left and framed collage work on wall to right with film-still wall paper behind
Installation view of large monitor to the left with film still of store shelves and a framed collage work on wall to right with film still wallpaper behind
Installation view of large monitor to left with film still of store counter and a framed collage on wall to right with film still wallpaper behind
Angled installation view of large monitor to right and closed ornate iron doors to left with bench in middle of room
Installation view of gallery with large monitor to the side with film still of landscape and framed collage on far wall next to closed metal doors
Installation view of large monitor with graphic landscape on screen, framed collage work on far wall next to closed metal doors
Installation image of wall paper surrounding a window featuring a film still of a building with a framed collage work on top to the right
Installation view of gallery wall with framed rectangular collage to the right and closed metal doors to the left
Installation view of gallery with copper printed artwork on one wall, images of blue sky on a shelf on another and a large textile work occupying the center floor space of the room
Installation view of gallery with a series of sky images on a shelf on back wall, copper printed landscape plates on right wall and large textile work on floor in foreground
Installation view of large floor textile with a work hanging on either side at far end of gallery
Installation view with large textile work on platform on floor, fireplace in background and a landscape work hanging on the walls facing one another
Installation view of gallery with large textile work on floor pedestal in center fo room, and three other works hanging on the back and side wall
Installation view of gallery with  work hanging no the back wall, divided by a doorway, and large textile work in center of floor
Installation view of gallery with three large windows in background, on artwork hanging in-between two of them, and large textile work in center floor of room
Installation view with three large windows in background, a copper plate work in-between two of the windows and a large textile work in center of room
Installation view, angled, with large textile work in center floor, and three artworks hanging soon back and side wall
Installation view of corner of gallery with three copper panels hanging on one side, a shelf of sky images hanging no other and textile floor work in foreground
Installation view of gallery showing fireplace in background, large floor textile work in foreground and two collections of works hanging on side wall
Close up of copper plate work featuring woods hanging on white wall
installation view of framed image of a plant on a white wall
Installation view of triptych of copper plates printed with a wooded mountain scene
Close-up installation view of triptych of copper plates printed with wooded mountain scene hung no a white wall
Close up installation image of a print of a film still with a large potted plant and white door
Installation view of a film still projected on back wall featuring a portico and landscape with three chairs lined up for viewing
Installation view of film still projected on wall featuring water and trees landscape with three chairs lined up for viewing
Installation view of film still projected on back wall featuring the Interior of the glass house with three chairs in front for viewing
Installation view of film projected on back wall featuring a Black woman writing
Installation view of film projected on back wall featuring a large Black giant kneeling in a garden
Installation view from angle showing film projected on back wall featuring a portico/building on a watery landscape
Installation view of film projected on gallery wall, showing a Black giant standing in water towering over a building
Installation view of a copper plate printed with a wooded scene hanging on a freestanding white wall
Installation view of galleries with a copper plate printed work hanging on two parallel walls and rocks situated on the floor
Installation view showing two different copper plate works on parallel walls, a ceramic sculpture on pedestal and rock artworks around the floor
Installation view of copper plate printed with mountain landscape hanging on white freestanding wall with rock artworks on ground
Installation view of gallery with copper plate printed with mountain scene on back wall, another copper print on side wall and rock artworks dispersed throughout
Angled installation view of gallery with two copper plate artworks hanging one two different walls and rock artworks spread on floor
Installation view of gallery with a horizontal copper plate triptych on far wall, a ceramic structure on pedestal in foreground, a smaller copper plate work to the right and rock artwork on floor throughout
Installation view of horizontal triptych copper plate landscape work with ceramic sculpture in foreground and rock artwork around floor
Close-up installation view of copper plate print depicting woods
Installation view of collaged ceramic sculpture with two tower-like attachments
Installation view of projection in gallery depicting film still of a street
Installation view of film projected in gallery depicting an aerial view of New York City
Installation view of film projected in gallery showing a black woman looking out, holding her phone
Installation view of film projected in gallery showing an aerial image of a site with a person's name super-imposed
Installation view of film projected in gallery depicting armored and armed officers walking down a street
Installation image of film projected in gallery showing a street scene at night with smoke and fire and people behind shields and structures

About the Artists


David Hartt was born in Montréal in 1967. Hartt lives and works in Philadelphia where he is an associate professor in the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his BFA from the University of Ottawa (1991) and his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1994). He is a 2018 Pew Fellowship in the Arts recipient and his solo exhibitions include the Hammer Museum, LA; Graham Foundation, Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago; The Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; David Nolan Gallery, New York; the Studio Museum, New York; Henry Art Gallery, Seattle; and Galerie Thomas Schulte, Berlin. He has been included in group exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Denver; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago;  MOCAD, Detroit,I; Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis; Whitney Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and White Columns, ; The Print Center, The Philadelphia Museum of Art and  Monument Lab, Philadelphia; The Institute of Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond Milwaukee Museum, Milwaukee;  Artexte, Montréal, Biennale de l'image, Montréal; Institute of Art and Design, London, London, Ontario; The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; and L’Observatoire–Galerie, Brussels;  the Musée du quai Branly, Paris; Spazio Ridotto, Venice, IT;  and Lothringer 13 Halle, Munich, GE. 

His work resides in the collections of  The Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Studio Museum, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; RISD Museum, Providence; Nasher Museum of Art, Durham, NC;  Henry Art Gallery, Seattle; The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; and The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

In addition to his Pew fellowship, Hartt has received a Graham Foundation Fellowship, two Canada Council Project Grants, a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grant, a United States Artists Cruz Fellowship, Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award, Artadia Award, and an Art Matters Grant.

James Hoff, who born in 1975, lives and works in Brooklyn. Hoff’s recent solo museum exhibitions include the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Canada; the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans; and the Base Arte Contemporanea Odierna (BACO) in Bergamo, Italy. Hoff has also shown in group exhibitions at the Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY;  The Kitchen, New York;  Midway Contemporary Art, Minneapolis; the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum, East Lansing, MI; Bielefelder Kunstverein, Germany; and the Kunsthall Oslo, Norway. In addition, he has delivered talks and performed at MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA; Artist’s Space, New York; MoMA, New York; Issue Project Room, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; and La Monnaie/De Munt, Brussels.

Hoff is also a co-founder of Primary Information, the non-profit organization that republishes artists’ books and art historical documents.

Kahlil Robert Irving was born in San Diego in 1992. He received his BA from  the Kansas City Art Institute (2015) and his MFA from Washington University (2017). The very next year, Irving’s first institutional solo exhibition took place at Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts.

In December 2021 Irving’s first museum solo opened at the Museum of Modern Art. Other exhibits include Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona; Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles, Mathew Marks Gallery, Los Angeles; New Museum Triennial, Whitney Museum of Art, and Abrons Art Center, all in New York; The Anderson Collection at Stanford University, San Francisco; Clayworks, Baltimore; Mass MOCA, North Adams, MA; Artspace, Kansas City, Contemporary Art Museum Saint Louis, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Saint Louis; The Clay Studio and Vox Populi, Philadelphia; RISD Museum, Providence; Gagosian Gallery, London; and the Singapore Biennale.

Irving’s work is in the collections of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis; Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City;  Art Omi, Ghent, New York;  Brooklyn Museum, New York;  JP Morgan Chase & Co. Art Collection, Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum, New York,; the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Sarasota Springs, NY; the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence and the Foundation for Contemporary Ceramic Art, Kecskemét, Hungary; the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem, Riga Porcelain Museum, Riga Latvia; International Ceramics Studio, Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Venice, and the Artist Residency Research Library, Dubai. 

Irving was awarded a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award in 2019 and a Joan Mitchell grant in 2020. In 2023, Irving will present a solo exhibition at the Walker Art Center.

 

Apply Visit Request Info

800-616-ARTS
215-717-6000

320 S. Broad St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102

The University of the Arts Place of ChoiceThe University of the Arts
Campus Map Title IX & Nondiscrimination Resources Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Careers at UArts Community Safety Guide UArts Store

©2023 University of the Arts

Download UArts App
Contact Us
Directory
UArts Portal
Privacy Policy