Alaina Hall
Baldwinsville, NY
[email protected]
ww.earthenbodystudios.org
BFA Fine Arts, Ceramics
Biography
Alaina Hall came to SUNY Oswego from Burlington, Vermont. She has participated in community and group shows at popular Burlington galleries, including The Space Gallery during Art Hop and the monthly Art Show at RL Photo Studio, where she claimed 2nd prize for her sculpture by popular vote. Alaina was also one of six artists chosen to participate in the inaugural Patio Table Art Contest at Ri Ra’s Irish Pub on Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace. Most recently, she participated in the 58th Annual Juried Student Exhibition at SUNY Oswego, where she won a SAEC Purchase Award for her sculpture Decomposition.
Alaina will remain in the Syracuse area following the completion of her BFA, where she will continue to expand her ceramic practice. Her work can be seen at www.earthenbodystudios.org.
Artist Statement
I have always been interested in the dark parts of humanity, the things we shy away from in polite society. The covid-19 pandemic has forced us to face parts of life that we are afraid of, mainly death. Over the past year, I spent a lot of time alone, suppressing anxiety and contemplating mortality. This is not a new interest for me, but the overwhelming amount of time I have spent with myself during social isolation has allowed me to come to a new understanding. I have found comfort in grappling with my own fears in the face of the mass death and mishandling of this pandemic.
My work is an exploration of this fear. I seek to give physical representation to my own fears as well as fear on a societal level. I use imagery inspired by science and horror to mimic the textures and colors of bodies and decomposition. In this work, I balance the super gross reality of decaying bodies and the spiritually liberating idea of allowing our bodies to return to the Earth.
I hope this work starts conversations about bodies, biological processes, and our relationship with the natural world. I see this as a small piece in a larger movement of death acceptance. I hope this will inspire you to consider the matter that makes up your body and recognizes the beauty in its eventual return to the Earth when you no longer inhabit it.