Joan Hall

This is what my studio looks like during the papermaking process. To make the paper, I formed 5 x 7-foot sheets of kozo or gampi paper using a giant improvised pool in my studio. Then, I pulp painted them with pigmented abaca.

Fading Forest of the Seas, 2008

Exhibited in "Hear the Ocean Sobbing" at the Cotuit Center for the Arts in Massachusetts.

https://www.joanhallstudio.com/3d-works-on-paper/fading-forest-of-the-seas/

This was taken when I was pulling kozo sheet off the printing plate that has been painted with red abaca pulp. Oftentimes I am not quite sure what they will look like until they dry, much like printmaking where one really does not know what the end result is until it is pulled off the printing plate.

Photo taken by Daniel McManus.

Hovering Below, 2022

Handmade paper, collagraph printed, pulp painted, Mylar, acrylic, hand-cut construction and glass beads.

https://childsgallery.com/work/hovering-below/

My work is exclusively represented by Childs Gallery in Boston. If you're an art enthusiast and would like to see more of my work, you can visit the gallery at 168 Newbury Street Boston, MA 02116. Let me know if you've visited and seen my other pieces!

Pandemic Reef 10 & 9, 2021

The Pandemic Reef series are a body of work created during 2020-2021. Masks, gloves and wipes are floating into waterways and oceans. It is the first time that PPE was added to the data category of pollutants in the ocean in over 35 years.

https://childsgallery.com/work/pandemic-reef-10/

How long do you think it took to install Algae Bloom, 2022?

This version took 12 hours to install.

Algae Bloom (5th version), 2022

It was about 26x40 feet. I wrapped the piece around a corner of the wall and installed it at an angle. You can see the folds become more aggressive as the translucent layers overlap, relax, and transform naturally into a sculpture. I was in ballet and gymnastics, so being aware of space has always been important to me. I build the works alone and visualize drawing in space as I build.

Photo by George Bouret

The inspiration for "The Power of Blue," came from my research at the rare book library at Washington University where I discovered the Badinus Manuscript, an Aztec medical text of healing plants from 1552. It is considered the first medical text of the Americas. It is combined with my interest in protecting the environment, specifically the sea.

Behind the scenes of The Power of Blue. This large scale sculpture was installed back in 2008. Commissioned by The Goldfarb School of Nursing, Washington University, St. Louis. https://www.joanhallstudio.com/sculpture-install/the-power-of-blue/ -620/i:7

As a mixed media artist, I use various materials to create my sculptures. Here, I used pulp painting, hand-cut construction, Mylar, acrylic, collagraph printing, and handmade paper.