This Is Doug Hall by Doug Hall with Eric Fischl

A generous and instructive memoir of radical art in the twentieth century, from fearless Conceptual artist Doug Hall. In conversation with Eric Fischl, followed by a signing. Presented in partnership with the Society of Fellows.

PLEASE NOTE: RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Seating is limited and will be first come, first served. Doors open at 5:30 pm.

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Even if you know Doug Hall’s work, you don’t know “this” Doug Hall: the little boy afraid of bears in Boston who became the love-smitten art student who grew into a fearless Conceptual artist challenging many of our most beloved assumptions. Although lavishly and be a utifully illustrated, this is not a book only to be looked at but one to be thoroughly read and enjoyed. In an account at once intimate and historical, Doug Hall writes eloquently about his development as a person and an artist. He situates his story within the broader conflicts of the latter part of the twentieth century and shows how these often absurd forces influenced a generation of artists to adopt radical art practices—video, performance, and installation—as a counter to the modernist aesthetics that preceded them. From his hilarious and troubling descriptions of the Altamont Free Concert (1969) and his disorienting confrontation in Berkeley with an LSD-tripping Indian Saddhu to his thoughts about teaching, making art, and the thinking behind some of his most important projects, Hall’s writing is generous and instructive for all those interested in our humanity and how it is nurtured through the arts.

Doug Hall became known in the mid-1970s for his innovative works in performance, video, and media installation, both as an individual artist and as a founding member of the T. R. Uthco Collective. In 1979 Hall expanded his studio practice to explore radical aesthetic practices with students at the San Francisco Art Institute where he taught from 1979 to 2008. He lives and works in San Francisco.

Eric Fischl is an internationally acclaimed American painter and sculptor. His artwork is represented in many distinguished museums throughout the world and has been featured in over one thousand publications. His extraordinary achievements throughout his career have made him one of the most influential figurative painters of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The Society of Fellows is a century-year-old organization whose membership is composed of those who have been awarded a Fellowship, Affiliated Fellowship, or Residency at the American Academy in Rome. Prize winners become members of the Society upon completing their residency at the Academy. The mission of the Society of Fellows is to provide a public platform that amplifies the voices of its diverse members while celebrating their achievements. The Society is a forum for exchanging ideas and sharing knowledge between members and with the public.