Everything pops at Haley Lane’s new installation, Show Me Your Teeth. The multi-talented artist and sculptor makes use of every medium imaginable, leaving a visceral visual fantasy landscape for the eyes. A “No Petting” sign preempts the intrusive thoughts.
Walking through the exhibition feels a bit trippy, except there are searing notes of innocence in each of her monstrous creations. The combination of horror and joy brings her monsters to life, which isn’t surprising. She meticulously crafts each one, spending over a year on one of the fan-favorite sculptures, Angel Dog. Determined to dive deep into the inner desires of each creation, the monsters are themselves—individual wants, needs, and desires. And they’re all waiting to show you their teeth.
Could you take me through a little bit of your background, and how you got started as an artist?
My entire life, art has been my passion. My parents encouraged me to draw when I was a kid, and I would try to make, like, the scary dogs from 101 Dalmatians with the very big, scary teeth. And I do the same thing to this day! I wasn’t sure it was a viable path, because I didn’t see how other artists marketed themselves. I didn’t see the other paths artists had taken, and I was so unaware of the amazing resources we have now with the Internet. So for a long time, I was doing art as my hobby. And then it all came together—I could have my hobby as my career. In 2019, I built my online store selling functional home decor pieces with, like, a wacky touch. And now, it fully blossomed into a way that I can create art every day and still be an adult. It’s been really incredible.
How would you describe yourself as an artist or your artwork to people who are unfamiliar with you?
Yeah, so, I would definitely say that I am a monster maker who specializes in creepy cute and often functional designs for the home.
Have you always been the monster maker—or is this a new area you’re exploring? What’s the inspiration behind this show, Show Me Your Teeth?
It’s actually totally evolved. When I was trying to discover my style, I always came back to the same themes of big teeth and fur. I’m really inspired by animals, especially dogs, with their crazy teeth and their tiny, little, furry bodies. I think they’re hilarious. They’re truly one of the only other species we walk around—they’re in our homes and everything. It’s so funny to me, so I gain inspiration from them.
Do you have dogs yourself? Where do you think that comes from?
Oh yeah, we had a great family dog, a miniature schnauzer—they have wonderful caricature faces. And my parents currently have another miniature schnauzer, and he inspires so many of my creations.
Take me through a little bit of your artistic process.
It often comes from whatever I’m already creating. The characters have a tendency to build themselves for me. Whenever it begins, it’s a very loose image or idea in my mind. Once I start working to bring them into our world, they start to take shape themselves. And they’ll start to tell me elements of their personality that I need to convey, or different details. Like, one of my characters in the show is “Diabolical.” He’s the purple monster who stands 54 inches tall. For the longest time, I was thinking, “What does he need, what does he need?” Then one day, I looked at him and realized he needed horns. Once I start tackling the large shapes, the details come through to give each character their own personality and expression.
I also saw your work with the corsets—do you venture much into design?
I’ve always been so drawn to functional art; I love having pieces with a purpose. I was really excited to create wearable pieces where I could see my art out in our world—living and breathing on people. I’ve also been so drawn to corsetry, and this sketch of a beautiful corset with teeth just came to me. I had to make it happen. Since making the first one, it’s been in demand, so I’ve kept branching out and expanding on the design and making it better.
What are some of your goals for the future? Either for your artwork or for yourself?
My main goal for this show is really to get as many eyes as I possibly can on my creations in Kansas City. I’ve always loved our art community here. I want to keep expanding on this universe I’ve created and develop even more exciting products people haven’t seen before. I have huge monsters that are still stuck in my head and creations that haven’t seen a sketchbook pad yet. And there are even monsters I wish I could’ve made in time for the show.
Find the monsters and their maker at Upper Level Gallery, now until August 26, or at her online store.