Interview
Joan Hall
Since 1970, Joan Hall has been a freelance collage artist and illustrator.
Her work has appeared on the cover of Time magazine, and in The New York Times and numerous other publications. Hall’s collages and assemblages have been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, including the Centre George Pompidou in Paris and the Museo Tamayo in Mexico City.
The American Culture Center commissioned her to lecture, exhibit, and conduct workshops in France, India, and Brazil.
In 2001, she was awarded a Mexico/US State Department Cultural Grant to go to Mexico to train teachers and teach children recycling using found objects and scrap images from magazines.
She has lectured internationally on Collage: Past and Present and, most recently, on Women and Collage at the National Arts Club in New York. In addition, she has written two books of poetry, and was the recipient of the 2018 Miriam Chaiken Foundation award for poetry. Hall has been a resident of Westbeth since 1971.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
I was born in Brooklyn to artist parents. When I was a child, they enrolled me in a drawing class at Pratt Institute. I loved art, but wanted to be a dancer. In 1959, I was accepted into The Juilliard School and majored in modern dance. I always collected ephemera and scrap images for collages. In 1968 I studied art at The Instituto de Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Upon returning to New York, a photographer friend took photos of my work and suggested I go to magazines to get it published. I took her advice and in 1971, had one of my pieces on the cover of The New York Times Book Review. That launched my career as a pioneer in collage and assemblage illustration. I have continued as a fine artist. In 1977, I had an exhibit at The American Center in Paris, France. Afterward, I was invited to exhibit in Brasilia, New Delhi, and Mexico City cultural centers.
What is the most powerful element of your artistic inspiration?
“I am a surrealist at heart. My fantasies and the images I dream inspire me.”
Describe the underlying theme of your work
“I work equally in collage and assemblage, and there is a surrealistic theme to all of my work. I like to juxtapose classical figures in contemporary settings in my paper collage. In my assemblages, I prefer to use natural materials combined with man-made objects.”
Take us through your creative process
“I prefer the cut-and-paste method to using the computer. I only use Photoshop for special effects on my finished collages.
I usually begin with a strong image and work around that. I find images that work together, and before I know it, a collage is created. It’s the same with objects in my assemblage constructions. I don't try to convey a message. I trust the creative process and go with the flow.”
How would you define your artwork?
“I prefer to use scrap images in my collage, and found objects in my assemblages. When people ask me what my work means, I say, ‘It means what you want it to mean.’ It isn't easy to interpret in words.”
What do you believe to be the role of an artist in society?
“Art is influential in making a statement. When I was a freelance illustrator and worked for The New York Times in the '70s, I had to be careful in using my images. What was said in editorials was more substantial than what artists could illustrate. I think that now artists can be free to make political statements and have an influence.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Joseph Cornell, Robert Rauschenberg, and Salvador Dali.”
