USU Eastern Press Release
Price, UT – Ogden painter and art educator Steve D. Stones will display his amusing, colorful, and sometimes ghoulish pop art paintings at Gallery East. The exhibit, entitled Add Libbed Art: Pop Deconstruction, will run from October 1st through November 1st in the Central Instruction Building (CIB) on the campus of Utah State University Eastern.
Stones’s exhibit will feature a selection of 20 acrylic paintings and collages that are derived or inspired from popular culture and commercial art designs. “In Ad-Libbed Art: Pop Deconstruction, I explore the overlooked world of advertising and its impact on consumer behaviors of product selection,” Stones says. “By deconstructing and reconstructing torn fragments of advertisements, I aim to challenge the viewer’s perception of consumer culture and its impact on our visual landscape.”
Stones makes his own interpretations of recognizable works—sometimes renowned master paintings, and other times popular advertising characters—and transforms them into colorful visual idioms. “My interpretation of iconic works, such as La Grande Odalisque with A Cat, serves as a metaphor for the transformation of familiar images and ideas within the ever-evolving realm of mass media. The juxtaposition of high art and low culture, coupled with the ephemeral nature of advertising, creates a visual tension that invites contemplation.”
The juxtapositions and transformations indeed elicit contemplative viewing. “Through this process, I seek to reveal the underlying structures and messages embedded within advertisements, while simultaneously celebrating the inherent beauty and chaos found in the fragmented forms. By offering a new perspective on these discarded materials and images, I hope to invite viewers to question the role of advertising in their lives and to appreciate the artistic potential that exists within the most mundane of objects.”
Steve Stones is a native of Ogden, Utah. He earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in Illustration at Weber State University in 1996. He went on to earn a Master’s of Fine Arts degree in painting at Utah State University in 2000. He has been teaching in the Department of Visual Art & Design at Weber State University as an adjunct instructor of art for 24 years.
Stones will be at Gallery East for a closing reception and gallery talk on Friday, November 1st, from 6 -8 p.m. Students, faculty, staff and the public are invited.
Any questions can be answered by Noel Carmack, Gallery East curator, at 435-613-5241 or email at noel.carmack@usu.edu.
The gallery is free and open to the public during the academic year.
Gallery East’s Fall 2024 hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Closed weekends, and holidays.
