Artist Statement of Christian Stone

 My work is stupid and weird, and thats exactly how I want it to appear at first glance. I tend to cloak serious messages in humor and absurdity, making things that take some time for the viewer to unravel. This allows me to present complex topics in an approachable way. Through print, sculpture, and performance, I create satirical plots, characters, and worlds that have a veneer of realism, but then fall apart at the seams. The scenarios I choose often expose the societal power dynamics which are hidden from plain view. In reality, these dynamics are stressful, unfair, or even abusive, but through some subtle changes and exaggerations they can become ludicrous. I often use my material choices, construction, display methods, and the behaviors of my many characters to expose the irrationality or immorality of a particular human behavior or interaction. For example, in one sculptural performance a military general stands in a dark war room laying out plans for a bloody attack on another country in an attempt to gain more wealth for his nation. This upsetting situation completely shifts if I disparage the general by putting him in a military uniform made out of sweatpants and slippers, plan the attack on a map of Ohio (The Bad Country Place), stab little sponges representing troops into the wall, and obsess over “heavy sponges” a metal sponge that is the most valuable resource. After all of these modifications the whole scenario becomes strange and unrealistic. I want the viewer to consider how absurd this scenario is and then recognize the absurdity that is reflected in the real world.