Print of The Month: July 2020

Nigel Hall RA

Ice (2018)

Size: 43.5 x 38
Technique: Screenprint
Materials: Somerset Velvet 300gsm
Edition size: 30

Nigel Hall RA. Sculpture and light in the artist’s studio, June 2020. @nigelhallartist on Instagram.

Distinctive circular silhouettes dominate the work by sculptor and Royal Academician Nigel Hall. In both his drawing and sculptural practices, sinuous loops and curves overlay and cut into each other to create contrasts between solid and hollowed masses. Through these constructions, one can identify a sense of both density and subtlety, as well as an interplay between positive and negative space. The elliptical shapes evoke planetary movements and the passing of time, bringing a celestial feel to the forms.

Hall is inspired by the calming atmosphere found in natural environments, describing the characteristics of his work as having a ‘stillness’ and ‘meditative quality’ [1].

Organic forces are perhaps a significant stimulus for the creation and titling of Ice, an abstract composition produced with the studio in 2018. Hall’s graceful drawings for Ice were made in a smoky charcoal and deep cobalt blue acrylic. In order to capture the fine subtleties of the soft charcoal gradient within a screenprint required careful expertise. A fine mesh screen of less than 0.3mm was needed for the intense precision and to present the true tonal and textural quality of the drawing. The screen had to be cleaned every 15 prints to prevent ink getting fixed into the mesh. The edition was produced using 10 colours and 6 individual stencils in order to achieve the accuracy.

The limited edition prints are available through the studio. Produced alongside, Fire presents an alternative flame-red colourway. Click here to contact us and make your enquiry.

Nigel Hall RA, July (12 Images : 12 Poems)

12 Images 12 Poems was another series which began production in the same year, a major undertaking by the studio involving a staggering 90 colours and 12 editions of 100 (a total of 1200 individual prints!). The project combined twelve free-form drawings by Hall and poems by writer Andrew Lambirth, a collaboration which evolved from conversations based on the calendar months. Click here for more information on this series, recently on show at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Posted by Karina Sawyer

[1] Nigel Hall (Artist Biography), Arsty.net (https://www.artsy.net/artist/nigel-hall)