Turlock artist gives a new spin to famous works

Call them paintbombs. Or maybe brushies.

Whatever you want to call these photobomb-meets-selfie paintings, they all feature and are the work of Turlock artist Don Hall. The 68-year-old artist and teacher is the man behind – and in – an unusual exhibition of self-portraits on display at downtown Modesto’s Chartreuse Muse Gallery.

Each painting in the series features his image inserted into a famous artist’s masterwork.

The result is a whimsical display that features pieces styled after everyone from Claude Monet to Vincent Van Gogh, Gustav Klimt to Margaret Keane, Frida Kahlo to Andy Warhol, and many more. Amid all the iconic work is Hall’s bald and bespectacled head, staring out at its audience calmly, almost daring them to smile.

“I had this idea – because I’d probably never have my work in a major museum – that I’d paint pictures of myself in major art museums looking at famous artwork,” said Hall, who over the years has taught art at Delta, Merced and Modesto Junior colleges. But after painting one, he realized there was an even better way to put himself in the picture, quite literally.

“I said, rather than paint myself looking at paintings, I should just paint myself in the paintings,” Hall said.

He has about 20 of these self-portraits completed – 15 of which are on display at the Chartreuse Muse. Gallery manager Jennifer Price said when people walk in and start to look at the exhibit, they quickly realize the paintings are all of the same man.

“Most people come in and love it,” she said. “They laugh out loud when they realize it’s all him. And they have fun pointing out all the different artists.”

Price said the gallery previously has displayed Hall’s work, particularly his ceramics. He has shown throughout the region for decades, since shortly after moving to Turlock in 1972. When the Chartreuse Muse organizers heard about his new self-portraits, they asked him to create more to put on a full exhibit.

So he worked over the past year and a half on the series. Most of the paintings are done on 5-by-5-foot canvas with acrylics.

“There’s no avoiding it. There is a level of humor to them, of course,” he said. “But it’s also somewhat serious in the fact it makes people re-evaluate famous artists and artwork. Why is some work famous?”

To create the work, Hall, who had not done much self-portraiture in the past, snaps a photo of himself to draw from. He said working on the project made him reflect on himself as well.

“I’m getting old,” he said. “It’s kind of scary drawing yourself all the time. But I’m getting good at it.”

The other advantage? Your model is always available when you want to paint.

Hall’s wife and two grown children enjoy the series. He brings a revolving parade of his self-portraits into the house, and works on the rest in his studio. Painting in each of the artist’s varying styles was a challenge for Hall. The work ranges from impressionism to surrealism, cubism to pop art and beyond.

“There are definitely different techniques involved. So I really improved my painting skills doing this project,” he said.

The exhibit, which includes a few of his ceramics and sculptures, is all for sale. Prices range from $180 for a plate to more than $4,000 for his large canvases. The series will be on display though March and viewing is free and open to the public during regular gallery hours.

And, don’t worry, Hall knows his work will elicit some chuckles, and that’s perfectly fine by him.

“Sometimes when I’m painting,” he said, “I just start laughing, too.”

This story was originally published January 28, 2015 at 7:27 PM with the headline "Turlock artist gives a new spin to famous works."