Art Banner man May 16, 2011 Handmade, stitched and coloured banners by Ed Hall are taken out of the crowds and paraded on their own merits in Manchester.

Ed Hall is a banner maker withstanding cultural and technological change, thoughtfully creating compositions for every one of his campaign banners, exceeding 400 individually painted and stitched. Whilst they’re all handmade, not an inch of poorly planned typography or running out of banner can be seen. Hall has mastered the process of interpreting the powerful mantra and campaigners’ devotion, communicating it through instant design impact.

The respectibility of the handmade craft and powerful message has struck a moral chord within the contemporary art world; Turner Prize winner Jeremy Dellar has produced work in collaboration with Ed Hall. A mancunian procession that Dellar organised in 2009 sported numerous banners by Hall, and was a free celebration/protest for anyone to join, from unrepentant smokers to girl guides. See a video.

Hall’s banners range in subject from The National Union of Rail Maritime, to the March Against the Brixton Bomb. His work is prolific and has been proudly paraded, and now for the first time finds itself filling the gallery context in it’s own devoted arena.

Jane Faram

‘On the March’ at the People’s History Museum, Manchester, opened on May 14 and will  be on ceremony until October 30.

Hear Hall discuss his life’s work in a short film by the National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers:  Ed Hall Banner Man. A film by Platform Films