Intention, Involvement, and Interaction in the World of Hannah Banciella’s Paintings

This year, August is starting off strong with the opening of Hannah Banciella’s “Can’t you see it’s killing me?” in the Fried Fruit Art Space. This exhibit is a continuation of a show she presented in Kansas City; it is an ongoing production that will continue to unfold through the various venues it calls home.

Back in Kansas City, Banciella’s work depicted the story of two women hunting down a unicorn, hoping to harvest the creature’s horn. “Can’t you see it’s killing me?” now features those same two women taking the stolen horn and sewing it to the head of a rabbit. Heavily inspired by the mythology of the unicorn, her paintings speak to Banciella’s fantastical world building and brilliant usage of color. Mythology is not her only source of inspiration; more often than not, it is music and poetry that appeal to her creative process. We discussed how the poetry of Louise Glück impacts her artistic ritual. “All her books, in my head, are tied to color,” she said, “one book I see is very white and snowy, another is red and fire. That book was a big inspiration.”

Hannah has been creating art for many years, but painting has been a relatively recent development in the timeline of her art. She started painting as a reprieve from charcoal drawing three years ago, which snowballed into large-scale projects like “Can’t you see it’s killing me?” amongst many others. Her preferred medium is oil paint on paper, not canvas.

This exhibit features a 15 ft. painting on paper, with a multitude of other smaller paintings to be layered on top of the large piece, in a style akin to paper dolls. Although there’s many unique facets to Banciella’s work, what is perhaps the most notable is that this exhibit is entirely interactive. It is up to the visiting audience to determine the story. Using pins to move the paintings around, elements of the story will be constantly changing with every new individual who views the exhibit. This decision to make her story interactive not only requires giving up control of the narrative, but also being content with how the story may continue. “A lot of times, when you have a show, people want to know– what’s the story? What’s the meaning?” she explained, “This time, they get to make the story they thought was happening… I just want people to play.”

When Banciella first explained this concept to those around her, they raised some concerns about the possible physical consequences this show would have on her artwork. “It’s okay. I’m coming to terms with it,” she said, “pin it through the eyeball, I don’t care!” In fact, she has made these preconceived flaws into a plan; in her next show, these pinholes will be centralized by utilizing red lights to backlight the painting, so they shine through “like stars” according to Hannah.

The interactive element offers another part of the experience; “A lot of the time, when I have work, the finishing touch would be to frame it and put it behind glass and hang it up on the wall. But at the point of putting it behind glass, I feel like it’s not personal anymore,” Banciella told me. Her solution? No glass. This exhibit is designed specifically for personal connection, creativity, and interaction. Opening August 1st, viewers will have the chance to arrange the story how they wish it would go–something both Hannah Banciella and the staff of Fried Fruit are very excited to see!

Can’t make it in person? Check out her website, where you can learn more about her art and even move the pieces themselves! https://www.hannahbanciella.com/blank

If you’d like to see more of Hannah’s work, check out her Instagram, @hbanciellaart!