The lyrical, abstract works painted by Alex Stone reflect on ancient traditions of lines in landscape, and on our ability in reading those lines. From this heritage, an elegant new visual language is constructed. As a multi-disciplinary artist, Alex’s work extends into new media in paintings, performance poetry, and sculptural expression the form of unique weathervanes, environmental installations, and mysterious machines.

Alex’s work has received critical acclaim. Reviewer Janet Hunt wrote: “… it tantalizingly both suggests and eludes meaning. Freeform, fluid, twirling and spinning like dancers across the boards, his work owes a little to maps, derives something from cartoons, and hints at musical notation or handwriting, especially hieroglyphics or cuneiform scripts. At the same time, it forms something greater than all of these ... this is a line which subverts, upends and defeats expectation. Stone challenges us, invites the viewer to look longer ... it is we who must make imaginative response.” Nancy de Freitas, a judge for the Wallace Art Awards wrote: “While Stone’s images are the result of consistent thinking around a strong and integral theoretical framework, they also transcend this and move into areas of mystery, paradox, and visual delight. The art of Alex Stone is at once seemingly ancient yet immediate, deeply personal yet universal.”

Alex developed an association with Winstone Wallboards, and became their official corporate artist. This four-year partnership was a finalist in the 2002 NBR Awards for Sponsorship of the Arts. Stone on Stone, a travelling solo exhibition of Alex’s work was seen in 2002 at The Bruce Mason Centre in Auckland, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand in Wellington, and at the Great Hall at the Arts Centre in Christchurch.

An accomplished performance poet, Alex was described by the Listener as ‘a robust and multi-faceted talent.’ He has published an anthology, Stopped & Expounding, and for 18 years has written a weekly column in the Waiheke Island newspaper, Gulf News. In the Wind, a book of the best of the first ten years of the column, is available in the Gallery shop. As a creative writer, Alex has also been recognised in New Zealand literary awards – BNZ Katherine Mansfield Award (short-listed), the Manhire Prize (short-listed), AUT Creative Writing Competition ( runner-up), the Takahe prize (winner, then disqualified for being over the word count, and later runner-up), the Rangitawa Prize (winner) and the Rangitawa Children’s Story Award (runner-up).