Along the Midway: Drawings by Don Hall
Exhibition Dates: September 3 – October 29, 2008
Reception: September 9 from 6 – 7 p.m.
Location: Turlock City Gallery, 156 S. Broadway
The Turlock City Arts Commission is pleased to present an exhibition of new works by Turlock artist Don Hall. The show will run from July 7 through August 27 in the City Gallery inside Turlock City Hall, located at 156 South Broadway in Turlock.
The exhibition features a series of more than 20 pencil drawings that Don Hall has been working on for the past few years. Hall’s subject matter is primarily advertising signage – some in urban settings, but recently concentrating on food and vendor booths at county and state fairs. Hall, who is perhaps best known in the region as a ceramic artist, shows amazing technical skill along with a passion for his subjects. The drawings represent a wonderful balance of visual energy, created by the “over-the-top” use of advertising, with the exacting precision of the photo-realistic pencil technique. Using this black and white medium allows Hall to still the cacophony of the midway giving the viewer the chance to evaluate the signs, their meaning, and the way that advertising impacts our lives. Hall’s work falls into the traditions of Pop Art established by artists like Andy Warhol and James Rosenquist. Like much Pop Art, the drawings work on multiple levels, both celebrating the explosion of images in the world around us and taking a critical view of the negative effects of so much chaotic information.
Hall earned his B.A. in Fine Arts and M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from California State University, Stanislaus. He has been an adjunct instructor teaching Art History and Appreciation, Drawing, and 2-Dimensional Design at Modesto Junior College, Merced College, and Delta College. Hall has shown his work in numerous galleries throughout the state, and regularly exhibits at the Tidewater gallery in Stockton. In 2007 he was awarded Best in Show at the Turlock City Arts Commission’s annual Spring Juried Art Show.The exhibition is generously sponsored by Wilkey Sheet Metal.
A reception will be held prior to the Turlock City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 9, from 6-7 p.m. at City Hall. The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., and evenings during public meetings. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.
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