FALL SALON AT MATNEY GALLERY AND THE WAGNER TAKEOVER

CHRIS WAGNER: A SALON TAKEOVER

READ AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS WAGNER

The Fall Salon at Matney Gallery centers on a Salon Takeover by sculptor Chris Wagner, whose carved and mixed-media works—often depicting animals—reflect a deep meditation on ecology, endurance, and renewal. Wagner’s figures, shaped from reclaimed wood, stand as guardians and witnesses of the natural world. Their tactile presence transforms craftsmanship into a quiet language of care and continuity.

Christopher B. Wagner is a sculptor originally from Kentucky but has lived and worked all over the country. Last summer he relocated from the West Coast to Williamsburg, VA to work as a Studio Art Technician at William & Mary. He received a B.A. in art history and sculpture from Georgetown College after which he studied Sculpture at Edinboro University in which he graduated in 2010 with an M.F.A..

AS WAGNER REFLECTS: “WHETHER IT’S CARVING A BISON, SCULPTING A VETERAN, OR DESIGNING A MOUNT FOR A 2,000-YEAR-OLD BOWL—IT’S ABOUT ATTENTION. YOU SHOW UP FOR THE FORM IN FRONT OF YOU. YOU TREAT IT WITH RESPECT. THAT’S WHAT KEEPS ME GOING IN THE STUDIO.”

WITH STEVE PRINCE, GARTH FRY, JILL CARNES, LITA TIRAK, MICHAEL K. PAXTON, IAN MCFARLANE, DANA JO COOLEY, NOREEN DEAN DRESSER, WILLIAM RULLER, LUTHER GERLACH, CHRISTI HARRIS, OLGA TOBRELUTS, IVAN PLUSCH, NICKI SANTIAGO, REBECCA SHKEYROV, GEORGE PAPADAKIS,ANI HOOVERN AND OTHERS