Image:
David HALL
Box 88
1 – 31 January 2023
Gallery Shop
Benalla Art Gallery celebrates the artistry inherent in functional design with January’s Gallery Shop exhibition, Out of the Box, by David Hall. Through the varied selection of boxes, the exhibition explores the infinite possibilities of the humble box; from design and size, to function and finish.
After 40 years working as an engineer, with woodwork as a hobby to be pursued when time permitted, retirement has enabled David to engage more actively in his love of woodworking. Over the years his skills and aesthetics have been refined through practice and exposure to other woodworkers. He is a life member and past president of the Victorian Woodworkers Association, the earliest and now the largest organisation in Victoria catering to both professional and amateur woodworkers.
Now living in Benalla, David is producing a small but steady output of hand crafted furniture including the boxes featured. David’s output is primarily contemporary in style. He has a preference for working with Australian timbers wherever possible and has undertaken work utilising recycled timbers.
Of the boxes, David explains, “There is always a reluctance by woodworkers to discard those small offcuts that inevitably result from making larger objects – they are just too beautiful to waste! So when I started making boxes, I began to draw on years of accumulation and provided myself with justification for having kept all those small pieces of timber. As the offcuts have dwindled, select boards, highly figured veneers and recycled timber have been utilised.”
“Most of my boxes utilise contrasting species with the lid as the feature point. Styling is simple and contemporary. Every box is unique with dimensions, materials and design varying depending on purpose and what materials are available.”
All works in the Gallery Shop are available for purchase from Benalla Art Gallery,
or by contacting the Gallery on: T 03 5760 2619 or gallery@benalla.vic.gov.au