Inspiration to Process: Gail Albert Halaban

From her commercial work, to her tableaus of motherhood, to the internationally successful series, Out My Window, Gail Albert Halaban has one goal: “I think of everything I do as a way to build community.”

Gail Albert HalabanCory Rice

Her earliest works were explorations of social groups, ones she knew very well—high school seniors, and ones she was just getting to know—the black-tie parties of her then home, Los Angeles. “This Stage of Motherhood” was the series that brought her first significant recognition from the fine-art world and it seems clear, since she was a new mom at the time, how these staged narratives explored but also created a community. Despite the subjects being primarily from upper middle-class suburban environs, anyone going through the early years of parenthood can recognize themselves in these scenes, and more than just offer descriptions, the images proffer dialogue with the viewer.