Alaina Hall | SUNY Oswego

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.

A stack of planters; cube on top, larger square in the middle, and wavy plate shape on the bottom. The surface is mottled brown, green and yellow. There is a subtle diamond pattern pressed onto the surfaces. This is obscured by fungal forms coming out of the surface. Fungal forms include flat discs, small orbs, wormy shapes, and pitted texture.

Decomposition
Ceramic
9”x9”x9”
2020
Art 230
A stack of planters; cube on top, larger square in the middle, and wavy plate shape on the bottom. The surface is mottled brown, green and yellow. There is a subtle diamond pattern pressed onto the surfaces. This is obscured by fungal forms coming out of the surface. Fungal forms include flat discs, small orbs, wormy shapes, and pitted texture.

The top half is a black beak form with a wriggling tongue coming out vertically. The bottom is white with green shading and shaped similarly to a hefty goblet. The area where the forms meet contains wrinkles and folds as if grown organically. The piece is vertically oriented and wider at the top (the open beak) than the bottom.

Worm Goblet
Ceramic
14”x6”x4”
2020
Art 230
The top half is a black beak form with a wriggling tongue coming out vertically. The bottom is white with green shading and shaped similarly to a hefty goblet. The area where the forms meet contains wrinkles and folds as if grown organically. The piece is vertically oriented and wider at the top (the open beak) than the bottom.

Image a: A bottle shaped vessel with openings showing the inside about halfway up the body. It is brownish-orange with blue and purple details. The organic shapes of the openings are framed by drips and torn skin forms. The top of the bottle cinches at the neck then reopens with an unfinished brim. Red drops are scattered over the piece.

Flesh Vase
Ceramic
14”x5”x5”
2021
Art 397
Image a: A bottle shaped vessel with openings showing the inside about halfway up the body. It is brownish-orange with blue and purple details. The organic shapes of the openings are framed by drips and torn skin forms. The top of the bottle cinches at the neck then reopens with an unfinished brim. Red drops are scattered over the piece.

Image b: The previous vessel viewed from another angle. This side shows more blotchy blue areas as well as several drip forms and a wormy form coming out of one of the openings. There are red drips on this side as well.

Flesh Vase
Ceramic
14”x5”x5”
2021
Art 397
Image b: The previous vessel viewed from another angle. This side shows more blotchy blue areas as well as several drip forms and a wormy form coming out of one of the openings. There are red drips on this side as well.

Image c: A detail of the wormy form on the previous vessel. The blue and purple blotches are pronounced against the orange. The mottled glaze texture is more visible in this Image.

Flesh Vase
Ceramic
14”x5”x5”
2021
Art 397
Image c: A detail of the wormy form on the previous vessel. The blue and purple blotches are pronounced against the orange. The mottled glaze texture is more visible in this Image.

Image a: Two forms. The furthest back is black and geometric. It is made of triangles and forms a sort of pyramid cage with one open side. In front of that form, and coming out of the open side, is a blobby brown and black form. It is covered in folds and tentacles. It has black bits sticking off of it that match the surface of the geometric form it is exiting. The composition is diagonal from middle left to lower right.

Crawler
Ceramic
20”x8”x8”
2021
Art 397
Image a: Two forms. The furthest back is black and geometric. It is made of triangles and forms a sort of pyramid cage with one open side. In front of that form, and coming out of the open side, is a blobby brown and black form. It is covered in folds and tentacles. It has black bits sticking off of it that match the surface of the geometric form it is exiting. The composition is diagonal from middle left to lower right.

Image b: Another view of the previous piece. The cage form behind the blobby form is mostly obscured. There is dark shading in the folds of the blobby form. Shiny, red splotches surround the back bits coming out of the blob.

Crawler
Ceramic
20”x8”x8”
2021
Art 397
Image b: Another view of the previous piece. The cage form behind the blobby form is mostly obscured. There is dark shading in the folds of the blobby form. Shiny, red splotches surround the back bits coming out of the blob.

Image c: A close up of one of the red splotches. The black bit in the center of the splotch looks like it is stabbing into the blob. The brown and black areas of the blobby form are around the outside of the image with the red in the middle.

Crawler
Ceramic
20”x8”x8”
2021
Art 397
Image c: A close up of one of the red splotches. The black bit in the center of the splotch looks like it is stabbing into the blob. The brown and black areas of the blobby form are around the outside of the image with the red in the middle.

Image a: A black vase with purple crystal forms growing out of it. The vase is narrow at the bottom, wide at the shoulder, and closes to a very thin neck with an undulating rim. A grouping of crystals points out of the left shoulder of the vase. A second grouping points toward the camera and is slightly down and right of the first group. The surface is mottled matte and metallic in the black area. The crystals and top of the rim are a glossy purple.

Crystal Vase One
Ceramic
10”x10”x10”
2021
Art 397
Image a: A black vase with purple crystal forms growing out of it. The vase is narrow at the bottom, wide at the shoulder, and closes to a very thin neck with an undulating rim. A grouping of crystals points out of the left shoulder of the vase. A second grouping points toward the camera and is slightly down and right of the first group. The surface is mottled matte and metallic in the black area. The crystals and top of the rim are a glossy purple.

Image b: The same vase from the opposite side. In this image the grouping on the shoulder of the vase is on the right side of the image. The mottled surface and colors are consistent with the other view.

Crystal Vase One
Ceramic
10”x10”x10”
2021
Art 397
Image b: The same vase from the opposite side. In this image the grouping on the shoulder of the vase is on the right side of the image. The mottled surface and colors are consistent with the other view.

Crystal Vase Two
Ceramic
2021
Art 397
Image a: A black vase with purple crystal forms growing out of it. The vase is narrow at the bottom, wide at the shoulder, and closes to a very thin neck with an undulating rim. There is a large whole through the center of the vase where glossy purple crystals appear from folds in the surface. The black surface is mottled matte and metallic. The inside of the rim and the crystals are the same glossy purple.

Crystal Vase Two
Ceramic
2021
Art 397
Image b: A three quarter view of the previous vase. The crystals are mostly obscured by the angle of the vase.

Image c: A close up of the hole in the same vase. The outside of the image is filled with the black surface of the vase. The opening in the center shows a white background. There are purple crystals near the bottom left and center right of the image.

Crystal Vase Two
Ceramic
2021
Art 397
Image c: A close up of the hole in the same vase. The outside of the image is filled with the black surface of the vase. The opening in the center shows a white background. There are purple crystals near the bottom left and center right of the image.

Around canvas covered with squiggly blue lines interspersed with red, yellow, white, and green areas. The dominant colors are red and blue. The painted surface is adorned with embroidery including pink, blue, and red dots, orange, and blue lines, white stripes and loops, a blue star, a red ruffle, and three light blue fabric bunches.

Slide
Acrylic and embroidery on canvas
30” diameter
2020
Art 205
Around canvas covered with squiggly blue lines interspersed with red, yellow, white, and green areas. The dominant colors are red and blue. The painted surface is adorned with embroidery including pink, blue, and red dots, orange, and blue lines, white stripes and loops, a blue star, a red ruffle, and three light blue fabric bunches.

A round canvas containing a landscape-like scene. The majority of the canvas is blue. There is a red wall on the left side, wide at the edge and narrowing toward the center. There is a white circle at the center of the canvas that is partially obscured by other elements. This white area fades to a dark blue going out toward the upper right third of the circle. The lower right third is a medium blue area with scattered rock forms of similar color. There are dark red tree forms growing between the rocks. Oran

Cellscape
Acrylic and fabric collage on canvas
30” diameter
2020
Art 205
A round canvas containing a landscape-like scene. The majority of the canvas is blue. There is a red wall on the left side, wide at the edge and narrowing toward the center. There is a white circle at the center of the canvas that is partially obscured by other elements. This white area fades to a dark blue going out toward the upper right third of the circle. The lower right third is a medium blue area with scattered rock forms of similar color. There are dark red tree forms growing between the rocks. Orange-red orbs Float about the upper right third.

A round canvas containing a chaotic landscape scene. The foreground and midground contain blue and green tall, narrow rock formations. Collaged creatures are interspersed throughout the rock forms. In the lower half of the piece there is light pink fog between the rock forms. The background fills the top half of the painting. It is pink and orange clouds with collaged newspaper pieces peaking out in some areas. There is a collaged photo of the sum in the center of the background

Covid on the Mind
Acrylic and collage on canvas
30” diameter
2020
Art 205
A round canvas containing a chaotic landscape scene. The foreground and midground contain blue and green tall, narrow rock formations. Collaged creatures are interspersed throughout the rock forms. In the lower half of the piece there is light pink fog between the rock forms. The background fills the top half of the painting. It is pink and orange clouds with collaged newspaper pieces peaking out in some areas. There is a collaged photo of the sum in the center of the background

Image a: Two roughly pyramid forms side by side on a white background. The leftmost form is black with red and black intestinal forms filling the bottom quarter. The rightmost form is completely filled with the same red and black intestinal forms. There is less black on the right form. Between the two forms are two stray pieces of intestinal forms.

Biode
Ceramic
2 pieces each about 26”x16”x20”
2021
Art 397
Image a: Two roughly pyramid forms side by side on a white background. The leftmost form is black with red and black intestinal forms filling the bottom quarter. The rightmost form is completely filled with the same red and black intestinal forms. There is less black on the right form. Between the two forms are two stray pieces of intestinal forms.

Biode
Ceramic
2 pieces each about 26”x16”x20”
2021
Art 397
Image b: An isolated photo of the rightmost form and the two stray intestinal pieces.

Biode
Ceramic
2 pieces each about 26”x16”x20”
2021
Art 397
Image c: An Isolated photo of the rightmost form.

Image d: A closeup of the intestinal forms in the Rightmost form. The photo is filled with red. The upper right shows the closest forms and they recede lower in the picture. One small area in the lower left shows the white background through a hole.

Biode
Ceramic
2 pieces each about 26”x16”x20”
2021
Art 397
Image d: A closeup of the intestinal forms in the Rightmost form. The photo is filled with red. The upper right shows the closest forms and they recede lower in the picture. One small area in the lower left shows the white background through a hole.

Two forms on a white background. The left form is shorter than the right. They are both organic, arrangements of tubes of varying size forming a coral like structure. All the tubes are open at the top. One tube on each structure has a red tree-like form coming out of it vertically. Several tubes have tufts of red thread, matching the tree forms, coming out of them.

Deep Coral
Ceramic, embroidery floss, and jewelry wire
14”x10”x9”
2021
Art 397
Two forms on a white background. The left form is shorter than the right. They are both organic, arrangements of tubes of varying size forming a coral like structure. All the tubes are open at the top. One tube on each structure has a red tree-like form coming out of it vertically. Several tubes have tufts of red thread, matching the tree forms, coming out of them.