Canvas in Motion: Sculptural Paintings by Stallman

Pacific Northwest-based duo Stallman, formed by Stephen Stum and Jason Hallman, see canvas as both surface and structure. Working as a tightly paired system, one intuitive, one analytical, they cut, shape and assemble painted strips into intricate reliefs. Their ongoing body of work, Canvas on Edge, shifts the role of the medium itself, letting the edge of the canvas carry color, light and movement.

Across series like Flow, Conic and Flourish, that approach unfolds in different ways. In Flow, ribbon-like strips bend and loop into continuous rhythms that shift as you move, creating subtle optical motion. Conic builds density instead, with thousands of tightly rolled forms forming coral-like fields, each edge painted to reveal or conceal color depending on the angle. Flourish leans into repetition, layering looping forms into blooming, almost botanical compositions.

What ties everything together is the work’s responsiveness. These pieces are not static images but shifting surfaces, where color and form stay in constant negotiation. As the viewer moves, so does the work, turning a fixed frame into something far more active and spatial. You can explore more of Stallman’s mesmerizing work on their website.

More art on the grid via Whistler Contemporary