16 Politics, Peas and Candy Corn – The Art of Coco Hall Some times our past crosses with our present. When I was in college, the rage among co-eds was Vegimals®. These soft sculpture toys were vegetables and fruits, full of personality and always holding a surprise. My favorite pea pod even had a cameo in the Toy Story 3 movie. Fast forward to Highway 62 Tours <strong>2013</strong>. A buzz in the art underground network says Coco Hall is a “must-see”. Buzz was right. A woman of many talents, she is a parent, sculptor, painter and author. Coco Hall’s current works are pop-art statement pieces. Working in paper maiche, ceramics and fabric, Coco’s work is earth-friendly, at times political, but always reflecting the “do what I love” credo of Coco. Coco studied abstract sculpture at Bennignton College. There she discovered politics and the New York art scene. She also found creative freedom with soft sculpture. Armed soft sculpture and a life long love of toys, she established Freemountain Toys, home of Vegimals® (1975-1980), the toys that had filled my dorm room. Photo by Dimitri Halkidis By Angela Romeo Those toys, little pieces of art, still bring a smile to me. Meeting their Creator bridged my past and present in a sentimental way. Coco’s next stop, however was the nonsentimental HiBrow® card division of American Greetings’®. There she worked with the late Tom Wilson Sr., creator of Ziggy®. She remains politically active working for environmental causes, women’s rights and animals rights. Coco’s first graphic novel, Ignoring Binky, (2001), is a political commentary asking the question “(A)re CEOs of mega-corps really socio-paths?” Her second graphic novel, Elephant Girl, (2009) is the true story of San Francisco Zoo Indian elephant, Calle. Intertwined with Calle is the story of a young girl also taken from India as child and brought to the United States. Elephant Girl is their story of determination to break chains and return home. This book also reflects Coco’s dedication to freeing elephants from captivity and her active support of elephant sanctuaries. Despite her activism and successes, Coco wanted something else. “I move between Sausalito and Joshua Tree creating art that I like,” she said. “I do what I love and worry less about people ‘getting’ me.” Giant cheese puffs, oversized candy corn swaddled in fake fur, and paper maiche rifles wrapped in organza may be lost on some, but there is no denying that Coco takes ubiquitous forms and elevates them to things of beauty. “I am inspired by the culture we live in, the wonderful/horribleness of it, the absurdity of it, makes me laugh and cry. I reflect the world as I see it. I think that is an artist’s job,” she said. Coco is unfazed by critics. “People without ideas don’t know where ideas come from. They steal ideas. While no one is truly original, I at least try to be.” Coco Hall doing what she loves: creating art with surprises much like the Vegimals® I loved in a dorm room a lifetime ago . Additional information may be found at www.cocohall.com Angela Romeo is the producer /host of COLLIDING WORLDS TV and COLLIDING WORLDS RADIO. For more information visit: www.collidingworldstvandart.com Colliding Worlds TV is available on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/AngelaValenteRomeo or at Colliding Worlds Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/collidingworldstv Colliding Worlds TV broadcasts on KPSE (MY 13 Palm Springs California) Saturdays at noon and Thursdays at 6:30 am Colliding Worlds Radio, broadcasts and live streams weekly, Saturday from 11 am to 12 pm on KPSF 1200 AM (Money Radio 1200) Colliding Worlds is now on KMIR (Palm Springs)Saturday at 5 am and on KPSE Thursday (Palm Springs) at 6:30 am CW Radio podcasts are available at www.collidingworldstvandart.com
17 GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION Wednesday, <strong>November</strong> 20th Ribbon Cutting 4pm 25% OFF Dinner 4-close Happy Hour 4-7 Dine in the newly remodeled dining room or on the dog-friendly patio. Reservations at (760) 325-1188 125 E Tahquitz Canyon Way #108, Palm Springs, CA 92262 oscarspalmsprings.com