Honor Bowman Hall lavishly ruminates signs of Savannah in this exhibition
by Yu-Kai Lin, photos by Valentin Sivyakov Photography
A sign acts as an introduction to communicate intent and meaning. It is a draw - an invitation to recognize, to remember, and to reflect.
Honor Bowman Hall’s masterful flat painting and bold colors in this collection of thirteen new artworks is a study of the many signs along Ocean Highway in Savannah, GA.
A transplant to Savannah and serving as the Dean of Fine Arts at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Hall deftly documents her environment through painting signs along the coastal route - a picturesque stretch of road that hugs the Georgia coast between the ocean and the marshes, the islands and the mainland.
Hall’s use of shapes and colors, serifs and san serif fonts, kerning and tracking all play a part in expressing what’s behind closed doors. In this body of seven acrylic works on wood panel and six framed paint pen on paper works, Hall is honoring her place in time and her legacy.
In ‘Clary’s’ {acrylic on canvas 36 x 66 inches}, Hall superbly displays an understanding of color theory in the three shades of green as the background, employing carefully controlled and seemingly measured haphazard drips down the canvas as the base for the sign. Ghostly protrusions seem to cascade down like Spanish moss floating and enveloping a tall Savannah tree.
In the foreground we get the full tree branch in a deep, almost blackened-purplish limb that juts into the planes of the canvas, hauntingly dancing through three sides, expertly drop shadowed with neon pink. Atop the sign post is the word Clary’s, elegantly cursive in a soft hue of blushed beige.
In the magnus opus ‘Bradley’s Lock & Key’ {acrylic on canvas 48 x 72 inches}, Hall chooses lush skies in the upper third of the canvas, scooped cloudscapes of lavender that plume and scallop down the canvas with whimsy. The middle portion, which constitutes the Bradley’s Lock & Key, has weathered and aged rust like drips subtly through the signage, while the words atop are clear and sharp.
As the sign says, “WE SHARPEN ANYTHING BUT YOUR WITS”. One wonders if Yale keys are still only 50 cents? Also, who was Bradley who seemingly has/had a charmed life of humor and good intentions? What a bold statement that their shop can “…FIX ANYTHING BUT A BROKEN HEART”, in the same font as “BLADES SHARPENED” for any knife or scissor-like objects. The scale of this work is King-Sized.
The bottom third of the canvas is a thoughtful outlining of a painted cedar shake roof that houses the locksmith - a series of jagged lines and slashes, dashes and icicles. Up close they look like little aliens creatures, mischievously smiling. Topped off the piece is an oversized Yale key laying on its side with the jagged portion of the key resembling a silhouhetted mountainscape. Sharply defined lines and clean painting speaks to Hall’s deft hand and precise acrylic abilities.
Hall’s ‘Green Turtle Inn’ {acrylic on canvas 36 x 45 inches} is complimentary to Clary’s environment, though now we are in late afternoon. Grape trees curly-cue down bright streaks of marigold yellow that swath across a peachy blushed, sherbert background. Six lavender colored palm trees stand outside to the right of the sign queueing as they wait to check in. The shape is a highway roadway sign with a green turtle excitedly swimming across the marquee in search of adventure. The sea turtle beckons us into the inn, while a subtle iridescent blue Pearl glazed moon rises above in the distance. There is a draw in this work of art that speaks to a relaxed atmosphere of amusement - The pool is open! They have HBO!
In Hall’s ‘Elephant Ears’ {acrylic on canvas 24 x 36 inches}, we get one of the only non-sign works. Two pool deck chairs on a lawn rest relaxingly against the sea-foamed pink patterned fence. Stucco’ed cut out breezeways add to the lofty and leisured nature of this piece. Large scale, overgrown elephant ear plants are overgrown and overtake the landscape while a large tropical leaf rests gently on the seat back as if to say, “Don’t mind me, I’ll just be hanging here forever”. The shadows casted by the bushes and seats really ground the work, giving the piece an extra layer to ruminate over.
Honor Bowman Hall skillfully documents her world, her commute, and her city. There is a super flat, post-post modernist Hockney-esque graphic aesthetic through her alluringly vibrant artworks. We feel the fun, we feel the fresh, we feel the sun. She’s seen the sign, and it’s opened up our minds.
