Show Preview | Melinda K. Hall

Santa Fe, NM
Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art, July 1-15

Melinda K. Hall, Finch-Guy, oil, 14 x 14.

This story was featured in the July 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art July 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

This month, Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art unveils 20 brand-new works from Melinda K. Hall. Although she started showing her work at the gallery just this past fall, Hall has been exhibiting in Santa Fe for 25 years. “This sort of celebrates the 25th year since my first show in Santa Fe,” Hall notes. “I’ve always been a fan of Melinda’s work,” says gallery owner Deborah Fritz, who is happy to now be representing the artist. “There are so many levels on which to enjoy it: the subject matter and the text she puts on there that directs the viewer in feeling and interpretations. As a painter, she has her own style; others have copied it, but she’s the original.” The show opens on Friday, July 1, with an artist’s reception from 5 to 7 p.m.

This is one of Hall’s few shows that hasn’t been themed. In fact, while working with Hall in preparation for the show, Fritz says, “I just wanted her to have the freedom to explore any subject matter she wanted,” and that is how the show’s title, On the Loose, was determined. The idea was to turn the artist loose to follow anything that inspired her.

Collectors familiar with Hall’s work will recognize her iconic, naïve style. But the subject matter ranges widely and includes works inspired by recent life events—for example, the discovery of an armchair that had been shredded by a beloved cat, now gone, while Hall was collecting items for a garage sale. Other inspirations have included memories from a recent European vacation; local wildlife outside of her studio window; and even failed dog-training endeavors.

With their raw drawing style and humorous subject matter, Hall’s works might seem simple or whimsical at first glance, but closer examination reveals their complexity. At one time an abstract painter, Hall brings to bear many of the techniques she mastered then. Her canvases typically feature one foreground main image, while in the background, complex textures, smaller images, and plays on words offer viewers multiple opportunities for discovery. “I am really serious about what I do,” Hall says. “I try to capture a little moment that maybe one would dismiss or not take time to really appreciate, and I am trying to draw attention to those ‘throw-away’ moments. As banal as they may seem, they are really kind of wonderful.”

“If you’ve been a lover of Hall’s work over the years, this is the time to add one to your collection because of the variety of work in the show,” Fritz says. “We have dogs, figures, cats, birds, even a gumball machine—it’s sort of a culmination of her life’s work.” —Laura Rintala

contact information
505.986.1156
www.giacobbefritz.com