Florida-based artist Linda Hall makes fantastical, mixed-media sculptures and highly embellished masks that reflect the fragility and anxiety of our modern world.
The artist: Born into a military family who moved frequently around Europe, Hall eventually landed in Fort Walton Beach, FL, where she went to high school.
After some travel herself, Hall earned a BFA from Florida State University (FSU) and an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1993, after grad school, she returned to Tallahassee, where she lives and works.
Over the years, Hall also has taught various classes at FSU while making her own art. In addition to her exhibits, Hall’s work has been featured in numerous publications and public projects, such as concerts, plays, processions and parades.
The studio: Goosehall is located in a wooden house built in the historic Smokey Hollow section of Tallahassee. The house, built in 1945 as a duplex, is one of the last remaining houses in an area that was once a vibrant African-American community. Since 2005, Hall has used the studio to make art, as well as hold workshops and events.
In the beginning: Hall remembers realizing she was a creative person in her eighth-grade English literature class, where she had fallen in love with the Romantic poets. After unsatisfying attempts at writing poetry, she turned to art – painting murals on her bedroom walls.
The art: Colorful, animal-like sculptures ($200 to $6,000, depending on detail and scale) and “Anxiety Masks,” ($350 to $600). Also installations with environmental undertones
Ten years ago, Hall started a series of animal forms in an attempt to connect what is traditionally feminine with ferociousness.
During the pandemic, she created a series of “Anxiety Masks” that covered the entire face and were highly embellished. The masks embody the anxiety of the pandemic, which also was a time of racial unrest. So far, she has made about 40 masks.
The materials: Textiles, such as quilts and embroidery with their own history, found in antique shops, thrift stores and through donations. Also papier-mache, paint, beads and feathers.
Recent shows, including:
- Two-person show at Horse and Buggy Press in Durham, NC. Through Aug. 27 2022.
- Solo exhibition at the Alexander Gallery in Bernay, France, 2022.
- Swan Coach House Summer Invitational group show in Atlanta, 2022.
- Two-person show with Tallahassee photographer Becki Rutta at the Cross Pollination Lab in Atlanta, 2022.
- Exhibition for American Craft Council week at the Signature Gallery, Atlanta, 2021
- ArtFields invitational competition in Lake City, SC, 2019.
What’s next:
- Collaborative public performance processions and parades.
- Continuing her “Anxiety masks” series.
- New exhibit at LeMoyne Arts in downtown Tallahassee, spring 2023.
Where to buy: lindahallart.com
Get social:
- Instagram: @lindadhall
