Charles Stinson
Soul Season: Â Works by Charles H. Stinson now on display at
a.Muse Gallery
614 Alabama Street, SF, CA
Sept 20 – Nov 12, 2015
Reception 6-8:30 PM Thursday, Sept 24
In the exhibit Soul Season, San Francisco artist, and Texas Sculpture Group member Charles H. Stinson uses his art in contemplation of cyclical patterns of life and nature. From seemingly “wild†bamboo sculptural forms to playful yet dark intaglio prints and collages, Stinson acts as gardener, shaping and ordering his highly evocative forms to create a mesmerizing exhibit which encourages active, though meditative participation from the viewer.
“The works invite one to sense the subtle space and breath within and between manifested objects–to slow down a moment in this age of immediacy and instantaneous access,†says Stinson.
His use of bamboo reflects the material’s rich symbolic and cultural heritage in Asian cultures, where bamboo represents longevity, durability, flexibility and grace. The artist points to its ability to “survive the harshest conditions,†including natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes. “It bends but does not easily break.â€
Continuing the themes suggested by his sculpture, Stinson’s intaglio prints and collages often employ archetypal skeletal images smiling wryly through the most dreadful circumstances. Whispers of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland breathe playfully absurdist yet nevertheless serious life into the narratives, which do not shy from tense topics of politics, warfare, environmental abuse, sexism, racism, and runaway inequality.
Charles Stinson
Also happening this Saturday September 26 3:30-5:30 PM is the opening reception for California Sculpture SLAM 2015.  Stinson’s Bamboo Matrix was one of twenty-four pieces selected by esteemed sculptor and juror Bella Feldman for this show of contemporary California sculpture. If you are in the area, make sure to check it out!
Charles Stinson