Chris Stones, “Man of the Shield (after Cervantes)”, mixed media, 2009. 
Chris Stones, “Bird Boat Hull”, mixed media, 2009. 
Chris Stones, “Paddle Station”, mixed media, 2010. 
Chris Stones, “Rant of Cormorants”, mixed media, 2010.
An avid beachcomber, Thunder Bay-based multidisciplinary artist Chris Stones has long sought inspiration and materials from the shores of Lake Superior. This solo exhibition features sculptures, paintings and installation works inspired by and found in Northern Ontario.
In Material Memory, Stones creates a series of sculptural works that are at once recognizable, yet are obviously transformed from their usual usage and convention. By bringing together distinct functional objects and well-known Canadian icons such as the canoe paddle and the maple leaf to more organic found pieces like animal bones, Stones refashions these objects to create sculptural assemblages that challenge any single notion of their original function.
Material Memory, Thunder Bay Art Gallery, September 10 – October 24, 2010.
“Material Memory” was reviewed by Caroline Bem in Border Crossing Magazine (issue 118), Click Here.