Lisa Hoke's Found-Color Sculptures at Pavel Zoubok Gallery Explore Joy Through Consumer Packaging

Lisa Hoke's exhibition 'Attention Shoppers' runs from May 28 to July 25, 2015 at Pavel Zoubok Gallery in New York City. The artist creates large-scale installations and freestanding sculptures from discarded packaging materials, transforming consumer refuse into vibrant compositions. Hoke's artistic journey began unexpectedly after studying English literature at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, when she enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University's art department without a portfolio. Her education emphasized process over career preparation, contrasting with contemporary art school approaches focused on immediate professional outcomes. Hoke's work has evolved from using inexpensive found objects within fifteen feet of her studio to creating monumental site-specific installations that engage with scale, color, and consumer culture. She describes her creative process as intuitive, requiring a protected studio space where she experiences 'unmitigated, unknowable joy.' The artist cites influences ranging from Richard Serra and Chris Burden to Eva Hesse and Martin Puryear, while maintaining that her use of recycled materials transcends pedantic environmental messaging. Hoke's recent shift from wall-based works to freestanding 'aisle' sculptures explores cardboard's structural possibilities while continuing her investigation of found color and consumer design patterns.