FIONA HALL

A case study by Grace Dunlop

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Contents

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Practice
Conceptual practice
3
Material Practice 4

The Frames
Medicine bundle for the Non-born child- Structural and
Cultural frame 5-6
Paradisus Terrestris- Postmodern and Structural frame
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Tender- Cultural and Structural frame
8-9
The Conceptual Framework
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Artist
11
World
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Audience
13
Artwork

Bibliography
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 Conceptual Practice

I tend to choose materials already loaded with meaning Having selected a medium,
I then devise a way to make it take on the forms I want, so my work usually ends up
looking highly crafted.
Quoted in catalogue Fiona Hall: Force Field, Museum of Contemporary
Art, Sydney, 2007, p. 19.

Fiona Hall greatly focuses on how she can display certain idea/s through her artworks.
Her artworks often display issues or themes of her current world, including the
relationship between nature and culture, colonial history, global trade, consumerism and
the environment, as well as many other ideas. Her art often conveys her strong concerns
of the state of our world, which carry deep political and social messages. To impart her
ideas, she often uses a wide range of symbols and metaphors. Fiona Halls artworks are
a representation of her feelings, ideas and experiences. Fiona Hall combines themes of
the old and the new in her artworks. Through these themes she explores the relationship
between culture and nature, and voices her opinion on environmental issues,
globalisation and consumerism.
Here some of her environmental ideas are explored through artworks such as Paradisus
terrestris. In this artwork she conveys her idea that paradise on earth is genetic
diversity. This paradise can easily be lost if we continue to allow environmental
degradation. Hall links the story of the religious garden of Eden, and the spread of our
natural world, with an environmental message. She will often connect human body
parts to nature to show the vital interconnecting relationship between them, as she
believes there are extremely important ties between the two. She shows that the human
actions that impact on our environment have great consequences on our future.
We share a great deal with plants, and use them frequently as erotic metaphors. The
basis of our shared existence is that, scientifically, we are now more fully able and
obliged to acknowledge. I heard on a radio program a few years ago that it has been
found that plants have haemoglobin- this was quite shocking and exhilarating
revelation for me. There are more genetic similarities between us, and the plant world
than there are differences. These are mind blowing concepts that should make us take
notice, because if we cant co-exist with and maintain the plant world then human life is
doomed. Fiona Hall, hidden message case study
She is passionately concerned about that protection of the environment and she worries
that some environments are being severely drained by the demands of commercial
profitability, so she uses her artworks for environmental awareness to her audience.
Her artworks also broadcast her ideas and thought of consumerism and global trade.
They display our desires for human goods, and how it can be detrimental to our health
and environment. They also often are her ideas of the earth taking revenge on our
consumerist world. Her works show how our world of consumerism is threatening our
natural one.
Her artworks are often multilayered using a wide range of materials together to
showcase her ideas.

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 Material Practice

Fiona Halls artworks incorporate multiple techniques and media, creating layering of
materials, meanings and concepts. Her materials and techniques greatly reflect and
carry her ideas and messages. She often uses natural materials, found materials and
everyday objects to transform and give meaning to her artworks. Her artworks often
have meticulous attention to detail, as it makes the work memorable and confronting,
and also adds meaning to each work. In Halls Leaf litter, 2002 each leaf is carefully
crafted with great precision. The entire work is extremely delicate as it represents the
fragile beauty of nature, as how it can so easily be taken away for profit or
urbanization. The scale of her works, and the energy she puts into every display
contributes to the effect of her overall artwork. Halls artworks are often large, or
many artworks that make up one large piece. She spends years working on each
artwork, putting great time, effort and energy into each of her creations. The scale
and present energy that she puts into each of her artworks often represents the large
issues/idea of the subject matter her artworks, which makes them memorable and
interesting.
In many of her cultural works Hall uses objects of relevancy to a culture, or the
natural environment that a culture is connected to. She will incorporate the practices
of a particular culture into her artworks to represent that culture, while adding
environmental messages and stories into her works. In Animals of another time,
2014, and collaboration with 11 Tjanpi Desert Weavers, of Aboriginal culture Fiona
Hall weaves native animals that are endangered with the indigenous womens
technique. In this work Fiona used Australian and British military uniforms to weave
the animals, telling the story of loss and displacement of the Aboriginal people.
Using their materials and technique to create a sculpture of both cultural and
environmental significance is key to expressing Fionas ideas.
Halls choice of material is always carefully thought out and often has hidden
meanings or messages within it. She will often use objects that would have been
discarded, and transforms them into beautiful compositions.
To represent her ideas on consumerism, and globalisation Fiona Hall will often use
everyday objects that reflect our worlds desire for goods. She will use materials such
as softdrink cans, and will knit them into babys clothes. Coca-Cola is an unhealthy
drink that is produced on mass and is known by people of all nations. The choice of
material reflects on our worlds want for unnecessary things, which will greatly
affect our future world, impacting on our health and environment. She will often use
visual puns and humour is her artworks to make then memorable and interesting to
her audience.
Halls works have symbols, processes and materials which strongly represent her
ideas that are vital to the entirety of her artworks.

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 Whisper in my mask, 2014, Tjanpi
Desert Weavers

Medicine for the Non-born child 1994 Coke cans and rubber teats.

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 Structural Frame

Fiona Halls material choices and structure of her sculptures are a key aspect of her work,
and often give meaning to her art and symbolise hidden codes to help send a message It
has five focus points: the bonnet, the jacket, the socks, the baby toy, and the coke baby
bottles. The restricted colour palette of just red silver and white, as well as the restricted
material choice helps highlight her ideas e.g. if she were to colour the baby clothes
brightly it may give a whole new meaning to her work, or if she had not used recycled
coke cans to create her work, her idea of consumerism may not be as easily projected.
This artworks choice of materials expresses her ideas of nurturing a baby in a consumer
and media driven society. The choice of using Coke cans - an unhealthy sugary drink that
is often given to young children- to make her artwork symbolise the values of the current
world. The way that the shredded coke cans are woven together gives it a knitted look,
like something an aunt would knit for a child. This choice of sharp material combined
with the knitted look can be an uncomfortable idea, as if you were to actually put these
clothes on a baby it would scratch its skin. The aluminium cans shaped into babys clothes
may symbolise the youth, health and purity of a new child, whereas the coke cans signify
the unhealthy diet our children consume from an early age, although originally cola was
seen as a medicine, which may have inspired the name of this artwork. This sculpture is
constructed to become quite life like, so the meaning is easily read.

Cultural Frame

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Medicine for the non-born child reflects our worlds obsession with consumerism.
Although Fiona Hall is an Australian artist, this artwork is relevant to the entire world, as
Coca-Cola has spread to all cultures, and people of all backgrounds. This artwork shows
our misplaced values, and shows how we will often put our lives into mass co-
operations, at the cost of our health and the environment. It reflects how our consumer
driven society is passed onto our children, and the cycle is never-ending. It reflects on
the ironies of contemporary parenting, as if the cola is to replace the mothers milk. It
also comments on the story of cola leaves. Once, in Africa and South America, the cola
leaves were used as medicine for cultural groups and tribes, but now that the Cola
industry has boomed Cola is known as a favourite soft drink.

Paradisus Terrestris 1989-90 Sardine Cans

Postmodern Frame

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Paradisus Terrestris (Paradise Earth) is an artwork that is a little out of the ordinary, but relays
messages that are extremely relevant to our modern world. In this exhibit there are 23 sardine
cans sculpted to be a native plant and a human body part. The rolled back parts of the sardine
can reveals a human body part, hiding underground and inside the can. In this artwork Fiona
Hall uses humour to pock fun at humans taboo mindsets of our own bodies. This challenges
our fixed ideas of how our bodies should appropriately be perceived, as in reality they are
natural, just like a plant. By using this wit and humour Hall creates a relationship with our
human bodies and plants. This artwork comments on human modesty and challenges our way
of how we see our bodies.

Structural Frame

In Paradisus Terrestris the makeup of this artwork and techniques used to create it
greatly impact on how it is perceived. The detail and delicate carving of this work is
eye capturing and makes it memorable. The rolled back lid of the sardine can
comments on how we hide our bodies. The choice of material is important to the
artwork as it is found object that would otherwise be thrown away. This comments on
our worlds consumerism and also environmental concerns. Sardines are also foods
brought to Australia by the British. This can be connected to the invasion of Australia
Aboriginal people, as all the plants in this artwork are native Australian ones.

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 Tender 2003-2005, American dollar

Money is part of the lives of all of us money perhaps is the ultimate symbol of
desires and its very interesting for me therefore as a material to incorporate in to the
work the environmental message here, of course, is one of globalisation and the
marginalisation of the environment through land clearance, the spread of urbanisation,
pollution, all of those things we know about only too well now
Fiona Hall Tender exhibition

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 Cultural Frame

Similar to medicine for the non-born child, Fiona Halls Tender

discusses themes of consumerism in our world. It expresses our worlds
obsession with money, and how it divides our nations apart. The title
Tender refers to human kindness, as well as the use of money for
exchange. This artwork talks about our worlds money-loving culture,
when really it is just paper. It shows the division between societal
classes, where many people are drowning in money, and others dont
have enough to survive. This artwork also focusses on the big trade
business, and how our human minds can be engrained with the idea
that money is everything. Hall takes away the value of this money,
which shocks her audience, and makes them think about the true worth
of money.

Structural Frame

Fiona Halls process and material choice is very controversial in her

work Tender. The act of shredding American bills takes away its value,
and makes us question the worth of money. The choice of American
bills is important as it is one of the most desired currency all over the
world. Nests are often made with scraps and things with no value, so
shaping the bills into nests takes away their worth, while connecting the
idea to nature, as the superficial note has now transformed into a natural
nest. The nests are enclosed in a glass cabinet to show how we are
looking into this issue, but we feel as though it is far away, glassed
behind a shelf. The nests are in all different shapes and sizes to signify
the diversity and freedom of nature in contrast to the limitedness and
confinement of money. This artwork explores the mindset of humans,
and the superficial worth that we put on money.

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 The conceptual framework is the interrelationship
between the 4 agencies of the art world- the artist, their
artwork, the world and the audience. In Fiona Halls
artworks, all of these agencies work to form her
unique artworks, that display her view on the world as
a whole and her own world, and convey ideas to an
audience.

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 The Artist

Fiona Margaret Hall (b. 1953) is an Australian

contemporary artist, whose works range from
sculptures, paintings, installations and videos.
Her first works were mostly photographs, but
during the 1980s she began to explore different
art forms and her works flourished.

Hall grew up in a family that were quite

connected to their environment and arts. Her
mother greatly encouraged her interest in the
arts and often took her to galleries to see
exhibitions such as Two Decades of American
Painting, which sparked her interest of the
artistic world. Many of her environmental
artworks can be linked back to her personal life,
as her family was so interested in the natural
world.

Halls core theme in her works is the

relationship between nature and culture. Her
choice of materials, and how she manipulates
them, is critical to displaying ideas through her
artworks. She uses everyday objects to address
contemporary social/environmental issues such
as globalisation, consumerism, colonialism and
natural history.

Her artworks have featured in exhibitions such

as the Venice Biennale (2015), and has many
well-known artworks that are shown in galleries
all over the world.

Fiona Halls personal life greatly affects not

only the subject matter of her artworks, but the
piece as a whole.

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 The World

Fiona Hall spreads her views on our world politically, socially and
environmentally through her artworks to a modern audience. The worlds
issues greatly impact her artworks, as they are often the reasoning of the
making of them. Fionas artworks address a wide range of our worlds
current problems including our earths environmental state, consumerism,
global politics and world finances.
Halls early works were largely influenced by European literature, as she
studied many English romantic poets, along with traditional Christian texts
and ancient philosophy. Her works focused greatly on the dramatic and
chaotic ideas portrayed in these texts including the good and evil of the
early English period.

Hall, Fiona (b. 1953), Gluttony, The Seven Deadly Sins, 1985, Polaroid
photograph. Image courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery,
Sydney.

Her works branched off from European literature to exploring different

issues and ideas on our current world. Her artworks focused on
transforming the mundane every day, highly consumed objects into
something beautiful. They would venture into culture and nature, looking
into historical events and the state of our natural world. Her artwork
Paradisus Terrestris entitled conveys messages of our over consuming,
product loving world, and how this is affecting our natural and cultural
world. The world and its issues greatly impact the outcome of Halls
artworks.

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 The Audience

Fiona Halls audience is our current

world. Her artworks are made to
affect people all over the world, and
bring to light our worlds issues. Hall
believes that artworks should be
made for effect, and to bring about
conversations. Her artworks start
discussions on important issues that
are critical for not only us, but our
future generations. Without the open-
minded audience of the 21st century,
Fiona Halls artworks would be
completely different, and she may not
be as well-known as she is today.

The Artwork

The world, audience and artist all impact on an artwork. Fiona Halls
upbringing, personal life and way of thinking create her unique sculptures.
The world also impacts on the result of her artworks, as almost all them
discuss an issue present in our current world. The audience of her works also
impact on her output, as without a following the purpose of her artworks
would be taken away, as there would be no discussion or effect on anyone.

Understorey (detail), 1999-2004, glass beads, silver wire, rubber, boar's teeth, vitrine.

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 Bibliography

Agency, D. T. (2016, February 02). Fiona Hall. Retrieved March 03, 2017, from
http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/fiona-hall
- Information about Fiona Hall as an artist

Posts about consumerism on ShiftTowardsSustainability. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2017, from
https://michaelalobb.wordpress.com/tag/consumerism/
- info about the artwork leaf litter, also information in the conceptual practice section
(environmental part).

Fiona Hall introduces 'tender' [Interview]. (2016, November 24). Retrieved March 7, 2016, from
http://tv.qagoma.qld.gov.au/2016/11/24/fiona-hall-introduces-you-to-tender/
- interview, info about Fiona Halls conceptual ideas in artwork tender.

Fiona Hall. (n.d.). Retrieved March 07, 2017, from http://dl.nfsa.gov.au/module/849/

- video by Betty Churcher, discusses some of Fiona halls artworks- conceptual practice

Fiona Hall. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2017, from

https://12artspace.wikispaces.com/file/view/Hidden Message.pdf
- info about medicine bundle for the nonborn child and quotes

N. (n.d.). Fiona Hall. Retrieved March 4, 2017, from

http://nga.gov.au/WrongWayTime/PDF/FionaHall_EducationResource.pdf
- info about Fiona Halls material practices.

Paradisus Terrestris entitiled. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2017, from

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/paradisus-terrestris-entitiled/
- information about artwork Paradisus terrestris

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