Hall Jameson

Lineman Gaffs and Quail Eggs
pigment print
26 x 18 in.

I am interested in studying the interplay of energy between the practical and the whimsical. My current work, from the series, Grounded, is geared toward this examination. The base subject matter for the Grounded series is a collection of lineman tools from the early twentieth century. I am drawn to the leather, wood, and steel components that make up these objects and the implications and inference of these materials. They are pieces used to create and control power, literally. The selected tools range from the gaffs used to climb power poles, to wooden hot sticks for handling high voltage power lines, to heavy leather tool belts, to copper grounding chains. I have photographed these objects both individually and in tandem with organic materials, such as stalks of figwort, tangles of tumbleweed, and delicate tulip blooms, in an attempt to compliment and temper their utilitarian nature. My goal is to create a composition that is both playful and sensible, to highlight  the inherent strength of each object, and emphasize the energy created through their contrasting interactions. It is through this analysis that the true sense of each component is revealed, and a new meaning is formed by their alliance.