Tell me about yourself, what inspired you to create art?

I am RichHARD HoffMAN, the mischief maker behind The Subversive Post Office. I create tiny works by painting over genuine postage stamps to create stamps that could never exist in the Establishment. I've always been driven to challenging the world through art, with a gentle visual nudge and hidden messages. I love people watching when viewers to my work get drawn in by the nature of the tiny work, you need to get up real close and personal, and then comes the smile, as the interaction magic happens.

Your medium is postage stamps, how did you get into creating art with postage stamps?

Well as odd as it may be, Brexit started it all! So, that may be the one and only good thing from Brexit! Back at the time, I was showing work in America and did not want to talk about Brexit repeatedly. Therefore, I used what to me was essentially British; the recognisable and iconic Queens profile on a stamp, and I added a gaucho mask as both a disguise and my very Britishness of using humour to alleviate a situation. Unknown to me at the time, but thankfully pointed out by an excited Gallery, I was the first to present this in the art world, and the years have flown by.

Do your surroundings and the political environment influence your artwork?

Totally! Albeit I love balancing concepts, I'm not a fan of hateful, negative art. A good example was a piece named Iron Lady, where some see the Iron Lady come to save Parliament, others may see the Destructor and terminator destroying Parliament. Perception is everything!

How would you describe your style?

Antiestablishmentarianism in one short word! When using more cartoon type popular imagery, it is obvious that I have amended a postage stamp. However, I love making subtle changes too. In one collection, I made all the British Monarchs smoke, both legal and illegal forms. It was very subtle but actually technically very complicated to paint; for example a cigarette of no more than 2.5mm that had the filter, paper, yellow glow, red heat and ash buildup.

Tell me about your process from start to finish of one of your works

Once an idea comes to mind, I need to source the stamps, having built up stamp dealers who help find those special pieces, and find those that might work in the limited space. I then mock up concepts and designs either on a phone drawing app or computer, experimenting with designs that could work on a genuine stamp. Then comes the exciting time to start working on a real stamp, if it’s a rare stamp, I may also print copies to work as an extra stage. I have plenty of Artist secrets on the how due to the varying type of stamps. Old 1950s stamps for example are like an absorbent sponge whereas modern stamps can be like plastic sometimes. So, it’s essential to adapt. Sometimes I change parts during the process and those stamps are put aside. Sometimes after weeks of work, one that comes to mind was my ‘Diana Wicked Queen’ piece, where on the final stage a bleed of the paint ruined the whole piece. However not all is lost!, I already have a waiting list for those ‘rejects’.

Then its finally time to write up the COA story, a hint of the story in creating the piece

What might surprise someone about your work?

Only those I deem to be successful are released, a good example is a piece named Duke, which was John Wayne painted as Woody from Toy Story. It sat in my studio for weeks and I was close to not releasing the piece, as it appeared to me as more of a costume rather than the story I wanted of the Ultimate Cowboy. But, 5am one morning, I woke up to the idea of adding ‘crazy’ toy eyes, and that addition balanced my concept.

Out of all your work, which piece are you most proud of?

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II I made the decision to stop painting new works using her image. But, as one of the final pieces, I painted 70 multicoloured butterflies on the most iconic Coronation image on a very special stamp. One Butterfly for each year of her Reign. To me it was my full stop and a green light to tackle Charles….

What has been your greatest achievement/challenge so far as an artist?

Perhaps the biggest impact I have had, is moving Philately to prime wall spaces. Before me, stamps were relished to a dusty album out of sight. Over the years, I’ve even now seen the Establishment attempt to replicate what I started. Am I Stamp Collector? I am now I hear so often, so bringing fresh philatelists to the community has also been an accidental result.

Who is your favourite artist? If they were sat next to you right now, what would you ask them?

Oh to choose… but, today lets go with BANKSY. The destruction of art has always fascinated me, from Cornelia Parker’s exploded shed ‘Dark Matter’, to the recent and amazing shredded painting ‘love is in the Bin’ by BANKSY at Auction. Did BANKSY expect the immense reaction it had and the monetary increase? It led to a whole series of work by me named STAMPSY, as both a homage and Art theft. Whereby I destroy all my own work meticulously after spending weeks painting. The result is a commentary on Contemporary Artists and the Establishment, but all achieved with humour.

Why do you think art is important in society?

Fundamentally for me it’s about ideas, personally I do it with a humorous smile, but that helps me tackle more difficult subjects. Art is social, I love getting messages from collectors, one recently from a buyer thanking me for the fun night she had over a glass of red, discussing the stamps with her visiting friends.

https://www.thesubversivepostoffice.com