Linda Hall’s artwork probes the darker side of fairy tales

By Amber Smith

Shoes made of hair, crow hearts made of cheesecloth, and demon outfits for the whole family: you can expect nothing less from the haunting yet spirited imagination of local artist Linda Hall. Following the wrap up of her successful 621 Gallery show, “Suspended Dreams,” featuring two other artists, Hall has an exciting 2007 ahead of her.

Her work will be featured in a New York group exhibition entitled, “Lovely Dark and Deep: Women Artists Retake on the Fairy Tale.” She is also working on an anti-war exhibition featuring other local artists. Perhaps she will use human hair to stitch out a dove, or the face of Pres. Bush; it wouldn’t be her first time working with the medium (all donated by friends).

“I want to make people laugh and uncomfortable at the same time,” Hall says of her work – and she pulls it off. Each piece, whether it be an installation, sculpture, or a watercolor, invokes the dark side of fairy tales, child-like yet deeply rooted in human psychology. Hall reflects upon her work as daydreams, and standing in front of an installation such as “They Have Returned to Where They Came From,” she delivers you a step nearer into a tangible dream.

An enchanted forest, painted as a shadow onto a white wall with just a glimmer of magical glitter in the heart of the wood, makes up the backdrop of the 10-foot installation, “They Have Returned to Where They Came From.” Seven pairs of delicate shoes, constructed of paper and cheesecloth, lie directly in front of the forest and instill the piece with ambiguity. Who are “they”? And what happened to them? The installation inspires the imagination of the viewer, making the installation itself a mere starting point for an endless journey into our own daydreams.

“I want viewers to enter a stage setting where the objects are ordinary but can’t be put to use or fully understood . . . [but] aim to provide evidence of another reality, located behind and within the materials of our daily life,” Hall says of her work.

The watercolors, slightly unrefined at times, have the feel of pages torn out of a children’s book of twisted fairy tales. Actually, that would be the best use for them. Many of the drawings illustrate the psychology behind the installations, like “Sally’s Sermon,” a pre-cursor to the enchanted forest installation, in which a bird stands poised in a chair in front of the wood, waiting to preach, but her only audience is a row of empty shoes. “Inside/ Out,” like “Gut Dogs,” addresses pro-feminine issues as well as questions the line between human spirit and the primal spirit of nature. The playful “Playing Bird,” is simplistic and humorous, just like childhood.

Aside from the dark thoughts Hall is so talented at translating, humorous pieces take up a fair amount of her studio as well. Toby, the artist’s cat, is the inspiration for many kitty-sized costumes such as “Toby’s Bird Watching Suit” an original and befeathered suit you won’t find at PetSmart. Other original cat costume designs: rocker Patti Smith and poet Charles Bukowski.

Hall is an artist who takes time to give back to the community as well, having designed, directed, and painted many murals in Tallahassee. Tennessee Street commuters driving by The Shelter, C.K. Steele Plaza, and the Greyhound bus station have become familiar with her murals.

Having graduated from Florida State University in 1987 with a degree in Visual Arts (and later receiving an MFA from UNC-Chapel Hill), she has been a longtime resident of Leon County with no intentions of leaving, even if her art is headed north.

Her New York show, “Lovely Dark and Deep: Women Artists Retake on the Fairy Tale,” is right up her dark yet whimsical alley. While some may view Hall’s work as impractical and unpolished, others see the occasional crudeness as more closely resembling real life, which is rarely practical, smooth, or shiny.

For the artist herself, if charisma, patience, and a positive attitude ensure artistic success, then Tallahassee can be certain that Hall will be on the scene for a long time.