The Surface Tension series is a study of the delicate relationship between levity and tension in a series shot in and around Los Angeles. This work marks a departure from the artist’s highly regarded portraiture in subject matter only. Hoerner applies his portrait technique to these organic and sculptural shapes by creating a sense of animate beings caught in a moment. The resulting tension is palpable. By staging these moments throughout the city of Los Angeles, a strange-and-quirky focus emerges that is the mark of Hoerner’s work.