People often ask themselves what the role of art should be. For some, art should teach us to distinguish between beauty and ugliness; for others, it should give a voice to those who don’t have one; for others still, it should bear witness to its time. This tends to elevate art into something distant, untouchable, and not accessible to everyone. Then—luckily—there are those who choose to dedicate themselves to art without taking it quite so seriously. Greg Stones is one of them, and you can tell from the opening line of his bio: “Let’s talk about what it means to be an artist. Actually, let’s not. You know why? Because talking about what it means to be an artist is SO BORING!”
Greg Stones has decided to turn animals into the protagonists of his work. His canvases, illustrations, and prints are populated by small penguins, raccoons, rabbits, and dachshunds delivering (more or less) clear messages. His choice to use animals comes from the idea that animals don’t judge, but also because they are the best way to talk about ourselves without actually portraying us.
Greg Stones’ animals inhabit a suspended, silent, often slightly absurd space, where they replicate—with almost embarrassing precision—our own insecurities, expectations, and everyday micro-dramas. They do nothing extraordinary; they are neither heroes nor mascots. They stand still, they wait, they observe, caught in that exact moment when something should happen, but nothing ever does. This is where Stones’ humor really hits. His clean, carefully calibrated painterly style is constantly undermined by the paradoxical situations in which he places his subjects, creating a short circuit between form and content that makes each image instantly recognizable.
The success of his work, and of his Instagram profile, doesn’t rely solely on visual immediacy, but on the ability to touch something deeply universal with lightness. Looking at his work, you’ll find yourself smiling and then, moments later, reflecting on its meaning—recognizing a part of yourself in a small raccoon standing alone in the snow, holding a sign that reads “FUCK.”
