COLLECTING WITH GABRIELLE BRATTON HALL
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START COLLECTING ART?
Traveling and specific events in life. So when Ed and I first moved in together, we got our first piece for the house. And then when we moved into other apartment, we bought a piece from the same artist. Later, he gave me a piece as my wedding day gift. We’ve also bought some things on trips, so starting from special events and special places.
WHAT IS YOUR MAIN MOTIVATION BEHIND COLLECTING?
I would say remembering and storytelling along the way, like visual storytelling.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST ACQUIRE ONE OF MARGARET’S PIECES?
She helped shoot our family's property in North Carolina. She came to shoot it for our family business. It was having its 50th year anniversary, and as a gift for my dad, me and my brother and sister wanted to have her come photograph parts of the property. We just grew up going there every weekend. A Lot of riding horses and kind of playing around. She came and shot all that. We gave our dad three pieces for his office. He loved them. I then also had to get some frames for myself…
WHICH PIECES IN HER COLLECTIONS ARE YOU MOST DRAWN TO?
I really love her Lucite frames specifically - I love how clean they are. I love how they mount and how they're so flush and clean on the wall too. Our apartment, you know, it's a small city apartment and so it can feel pretty cluttered easily. I wanted a piece to take up that whole wall in a very clean, but thoughtful way, so I ended up buying “The Flight”. It’s an image from her honeymoon of birds on the beach in Africa.
I just really love every time I open my door and it's just right there and really cool. I feel transported.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT PIECE SAYS ABOUT YOU?
That I like soft, cozy and inviting things in my space.
DO YOU COLLECT FROM THE SAME ARTIST OR FROM AN ARRAY?
I like having an attachment to a person or a place or you know, whatever. I like building on that story. One of my very favorite pieces is this lady in a robe that is in my bedroom. All of my mom's best friends gave it to me as a wedding gift. My mom has two of them in her house as well. I wish I could get more from that artist, but I can't find any. I would love a real collection of her ladies in robes.
FINALLY, DO YOU COLLECT A SPECIFIC STYLE?
No, I'm just drawn to different textures and colors. I think I'm just eclectic, and I love to kind of treasure hunt and find things on trips to then attach those memories onto the pieces.