COLLABORATIVE WORK BY WALT HALL+KELLY THOMPSON+SUSAN WEBER

Opening: Thursday, January 10, 2008 6-9pm with Live Painting by Walt Hall

 

Twelve years ago Kelly Thompson gave me a painting of hers that I fell in love with.  It is titled Lisa and Susan go to Hell in a Handbag, a portrait of Lisa Ingalls and Susan Weber, both artists and friends. Perhaps you saw it proudly displayed in the women's restroom at our previous location. They were depicted so intriguingly that I have treasured it ever since.  M.J. HIGGINS has shown both Thompson's and Weber's work over the last 2 years and look forward to showing Lisa Ingalls' work later this year.

 

Thompson's exploration of a variety of medium, subject and format has begun to distill into a delicious smorgasbord of delight. Unafraid to follow inspirations as compelled, her drive and freedom is an inspiration to many. Simultaneously developing multiple ongoing series of work Thompson welcomes collaboration. "There is something about letting go of your ego and giving someone else the opportunity to elaborate on your vision.  My art will always be a great experiment and collaborations are just another way to do that."  Thompson's abstract landscapes were first shown in the 2005 Eminent Domain show and later her Potty Series debuted in 2006. In the too short show last May, Paintography, Thompson and Weber's work was paired by inspiration, either the photography inspired the painting or vice versa.

 

Weber is decidedly a great artistic photographer.  Her Flip Flop series appeared at M.J. HIGGINS in Works on Paper, Fall 2006, and in Paintography, May 2007.  Here in both Compilations & Collaborations, she reignites a previous passion, collage, and combines wonderful found images with her original photography. In Collaborations Weber also brings in painting to her mix. 

 

Through Weber and Thompson's mutual inspiration and support in pursuing their artistic endeavors they began to experiment with collaborating on each other's work and then the two added a third, Walt Hall, a wonderful painter who also works in mixed media. The three began swapping works to see what the other would add. The results are sure to be remarkable.  Individually each of their work is unique, beautiful, interesting and insightful while bringing a sense of light hearted enjoyment, a benefit to owning such art.

 

Walt Hall's paintings and mixed media works bring together images and thoughts of other worlds, realities that are not so distant. Set in austere landscapes, figures tell us something of a possibility not considered by most. His fine line and compositions show the ease and joy with which he works; often using seemingly random planks or discards, Hall creates through applied paper from foreign newsprint to pages from primers backgrounds for his images that capture ones imagination.