Bubble + X Strait 0318

Completed

2026

Medium

felt, acrylic frame

Dimensions

20"x 20"x 3.75"

Cost

$4,000

Description

My work explores the interplay between material, system, and perception through densely layered wall sculptures made from laminated felt. I am interested in the tension between softness and structure, and between what something appears to be and what it actually is. While the work initially reads as a unified field of color and shape, it is in fact a highly constructed object built from hundreds of individually cut and stacked layers.

Each piece begins with a digitally designed system of forms (bubbles, clovers, star pyramids, and rounded crosses, etc.) that are translated into physical layers through lamination, laser cutting, and hand assembly. Two colors of felt are fused together before cutting, producing tightly banded strata that generate optical blends. The compositions function as systems that produce emergent patterns whose logic is not immediately legible. From a distance, these layers merge into a cohesive color field with forms that seem to emerge from within; up close, that cohesion breaks apart into discrete lines and stacked elements.

This shift introduces a moment of surprise. What first appears continuous and stable reveals itself to be fragmented and constructed, prompting a reconsideration of the image and how it is formed. I am interested in this moment, when perception adjusts and the viewer becomes aware of the gap between appearance and reality. In the quest to understand, this interplay encourages sustained looking.

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About this Artist

R Justin Stewart

R Justin Stewart

R Justin Stewart explores how information is presented in ways that confuse the mind and eye. Over the years, his work has ranged from drawings, to large scale installations, to wall sculptures made of felt. In all of his works he invents unusual means of construction that transform humble materials into surprising new forms. Justin has a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from the University of Minnesota. He has exhibited at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Mesa Art Center, and Providence University. 
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