Christian Vaughan Jones creates stone and steel sculpture inspired by the brutality of quarrying and the ingenuity associated with architecture combined with the dynamic physicality of hot metal forging.
He is passionate about elevating utilitarian objects and techniques beyond their humble origins and is determined to monumentalize the skills of the Stonemason and the Blacksmith in a contemporary sculptural form.
Christian continues to exhibit nationally and internationally whilst tirelessly pursuing his exploration of the fractious nature of stone and the tensile strength of steel to create objects that have the potential to transcend the boundaries of art to become future relics in their own right.
Statement
I create my work in response to my surroundings, strongly influenced by my childhood growing up surrounded by the coal mines and quarry tips of the Amman Valley in South Wales.
I consider the reclaimed land to have greater beauty than that which is untouched, the power of nature to beautify what we once discarded is a display of defiance that shows how nature has the advantage of time against our fleeting existence.
The combination of harsh industrial materials and the relentless determination of nature to soften the most invasive human activities, primarily quarrying and mining, remind me of how I perceived beauty within industry as a child, happily oblivious and carrying on with life regardless of my surroundings.
Website: www.stonemetalart.com