The materials used in my art work come out of trash bins, from roadsides and the local dump.
They were used in schools (milk cartons), businesses (styrofoam and cardboard) – for packing and storage, as well as in our homes.
The materials are symbolic of our time, and I am utilizing it while it is still around and before something different will take their place in the future.
Over time, I realized how interesting the shapes of many of these throwaways are, and it has given me great pleasure to transform them into colorful 3-dimensional artworks, wall-hung, as well as free-standing.
“…Ms. Sommerhoff is one of those artists who regard trash not as an eye sore but as a golden opportunity. ”
“One can see through the bright paint of her wall reliefs and recognize the plastic foam packing material, which forms the matrix for sculpture that also includes cups and trays so well integrated and disguised that one momentarily forgets their origin.” “Ms. Sommerhoff has a gift for making tedium happy. Her colors are bright…. In some pieces, Frank Stella and his inventive, colorful geometry come to mind. ”
William Zimmer – New York Times
