Roxanna Halls Shadow Play at Hay Hill Gallery
‘Shadow Play’ is the title of the latest works on display at Hay Hill Gallery by self-taught artist Roxanna Halls. In the depths of a 1930s disused bar of a London Theatre, the space has been adapted into an intriguing artist’s studio and is clearly the heart of Halls inspiration and creativity. Here, she has worked within her unusual setting for the last few years to produce work that surrounds the themes of cabaret, entertainment and the characters that bring them to life.
At Hay Hill Gallery, ‘Shadow Play’ transforms the space into a theatrical spectacle that is darkly humorous and presents a different perspective on the cabaret scene. Paintings such as ‘The Tablecloth Trick’ and ‘A Startler For The Careful Housekeeper’ present scenes of energy, wonderment, magic and maybe even deviance. ‘The Tablecloth Trick’ shows a table which has been formally presented with tablecloth, plates, cups and saucers along with cream cakes, trifles, jellies, hot tea and custard. The cloth has been snatched away beneath the items, but instead of the items remaining in their initial place, chaos erupts as the items are shown thrown into the air, mid-performance, with the contents of the sweet desserts and liquids escaping their cups and plates to ultimately resort in a superb mess. The trick then is that there is no trick. Other paintings such as ‘The Jelly Tower’ show gloved hands balancing a plate of jelly and treats on nothing but a fork. Again the scene looks very unstable and leaves you wondering if it will all end in turmoil as the other paintings suggest.
One aspect of this exhibition that is hard to avoid is the confrontational elements that Halls paintings advocates. The viewer is clearly the audience of a show, but the feeling that you start to realise is that this is intended as a solo show and they are the ones that control it. ‘Mrs Irma Powell and the Britannia Marionettes’ is one piece that achieves just that. Positioned high on top of a large puppet theatre complete with marionettes is the very Mrs Irma Powell and what a powerful character she is. Her gaze is unquestionably direct at the viewer and affirms that she is not a force to be reckoned with, although she presents no obvious threat. The stage makeup covers her face to highlight every wrinkle and crevice to create a glamorous appearance, but with a harsh gritty edge. With a stern and disciplined rigour, it is hard not to be captivated by the star of the show if not a little intimidated!
Every painting that Halls has on display presents a story or scenario that holds a dark tale to be interpreted at the viewer’s discrepancy. Themes of sexuality, power and provocative motives are clear to spot, however it would be wrong to assume that this is an exhibition on morals and consequence. This is clearly a performance with a difference, where the characters of the work sometimes show a sign of sadness as though forced to perform in such ways and maybe adopting the character of the role as their own each time they take to the stage. The depth of each piece and the story within it is what makes these paintings so very intriguing. Halls is a very accomplished painter and demonstrates fantastic skill and understanding of the media she uses. She has carefully selected items and fabrics to appear in her paintings that provide richness and texture, but her style of painting and ability, only adds to this to create very opulent and intensely imaginative works. There is no question that Halls is a great painter and even viewers who may not be interested in the themes that Halls explores will still be able to appreciate and applaud her work. An artist then, that is certainly worthy of an encore!
Words by STACEY BOOTH.
Shadow Play runs from 24th Oct – 19th Nov 2011 at the Hay Hill Gallery, 5a Cork Street, London W1S 3NY. http://www.hayhill.com