Robert Fones

Fones portrait

Robert Fones was born in London, Ontario on 10 March 1949. He was part of an active art scene in London associated with 20/20 Gallery, where he had his first solo exhibition in 1969. In 1973 he was a founding member of Forest City Gallery. He also designed the original tree-ring logo. Robert Fones has lived in Toronto since 1976. He first exhibited with Carmen Lamanna Gallery, then Sandra Simpson Gallery before joining Olga Korper Gallery in 2000. In his work Fones often combines elements from popular culture and design, such as packaging, pictograms and letterforms, with his investigations into geological, cultural, and industrial history. Fones works in a variety of media and has consistently explored a number of recurring themes: the ideologies embedded in the artifacts of cultural life, the invisible span of natural and cultural change, and the visual contradictions inherent in the two dimensional illusions of painting and photography. Fones has exhibited in Canada, the United States and Germany. In 1999 he received the Toronto Arts Award for Visual Art. He has taught at the Ontario College of Art and Design, the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto and in the Art & Art History program at Sheridan College. Artist books have featured prominently in his artistic production. He has published several books with Coach House Books and with Art Metropole including Anthropomorphiks (1971) Field Identification (1985) and Head Paintings (1997). Fones has also written extensively about art and design for publications such as C Magazine, Parachute, Vanguard, Ciel Variable, Canadian Art, and Azure Magazine.

Available Artworks

Krispy Kreme (1-7), 2023

Krispy Kreme (1-7), 2023

Robert Fones
acrylic on linen, 20" x 180" / 20" x 20" each
Meadowlily (1-7), 2023

Meadowlily (1-7), 2023

Robert Fones
acrylic on linen, 20" x 180" / 20" x 20" each
Supertest (1-6), 2023
Supertest (1-6), 2023

artwork detail

Supertest (1-6), 2023

Robert Fones
acrylic on linen, 20" x 153" / 20" x 20" each
Liquitex (1-4), 2023

Liquitex (1-4), 2023

Robert Fones
acrylic on linen, 20" x 100" / 20" x 20" each
Rexall (1-4), 2023
Rexall (1-4), 2023

artwork detail

Rexall (1-4), 2023

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 100" / 20" x 20" each
Red Mill, 2023

Red Mill, 2023

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 20"
Blue Mill, 2023

Blue Mill, 2023

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas, 20" x 20"
Wir sind, 2019

Wir sind, 2019

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 20” x 28” - paper 22.25” x 28” - framed
Ich sterbe, 2019

Ich sterbe, 2019

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 20” x 24” - paper 22.25” x 26.5” - framed
Nurnberger Lebkuchen 1-1, 2018

Nurnberger Lebkuchen 1-1, 2018

Robert Fones
watercolour on shopping bag 18.5” x 16” - paper 27.5” x 20.5” - framed
Nurnberger Lebkuchen 9-2, 2018

Nurnberger Lebkuchen 9-2, 2018

Robert Fones
watercolour in shopping bag 18.5” x 16” - paper 27.5” x 20.5” - framed
Nurnberger Lebkuchen 7-1, 2018

Nurnberger Lebkuchen 7-1, 2018

Robert Fones
watercolour on shopping bag 18.5” x 16” - paper 27.5” x 20.5” - framed
Nurnberger Lebkuchen 11-2, 2018

Nurnberger Lebkuchen 11-2, 2018

Robert Fones
watercolour on shopping bag 18.5” x 16” - paper 27.5” x 20.5” - framed
Nurnberger Lebkuchen 1-2, 2018

Nurnberger Lebkuchen 1-2, 2018

Robert Fones
watercolour on shopping bag 18.5” x 16” - paper 27.5” x 20.5” - framed
Nurnberger Lebkuchen 6-2, 2018

Nurnberger Lebkuchen 6-2, 2018

Robert Fones
watercolour on shopping bag 18.5” x 16” - paper 27.5” x 20.5” - framed
Nurnberger Lebkuchen #3, 2019

Nurnberger Lebkuchen #3, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on linen 30” x 40”
Nurnberger Lebkuchen #2, 2019

Nurnberger Lebkuchen #2, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on linen 30” x 44”
Nurnberger Lebkuchen #1, 2019

Nurnberger Lebkuchen #1, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on linen 30” x 44”
Nurnberger Lebkuchen #4, 2019

Nurnberger Lebkuchen #4, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on linen 30” x 40”
Plomb de Macon 1, 2019

Plomb de Macon 1, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas mounted on panel 16 5/8” x 16 5/8”
Strange Music, 2019

Strange Music, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas mounted on panel 16 5/8” x 16 5/8”
Ant Lions, 2019

Ant Lions, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas mounted on panel 16 5/8” x 16 5/8”
Enseigne de Gersaint, Figure 2, 2019

Enseigne de Gersaint, Figure 2, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas mounted on panel 16 5/8” x 16 5/8”
Enseigne de Gersaint, Figure 3, 2019

Enseigne de Gersaint, Figure 3, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas mounted on panel 16 5/8” x 16 5/8”
Enseigne de Gersaint, Figure 7, 2019

Enseigne de Gersaint, Figure 7, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas mounted on panel 16 5/8” x 16 5/8”
Enseigne de Gersaint, Figure 12, 2019

Enseigne de Gersaint, Figure 12, 2019

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas mounted on panel 16 5/8” x 16 5/8”
thought you [triptych], 2019

thought you [triptych], 2019

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 11” x 18.5” - each paper 13.25” x 20.75” - each framed
Kyrgyzstan Cross, 2018
Kyrgyzstan Cross, 2018

artwork detail

Kyrgyzstan Cross, 2018

Kyrgyzstan Cross, 2018

Robert Fones
stop-motion animation, edition of 5 3 mins
Kyrgyzstan Cross, 2019

Kyrgyzstan Cross, 2019

Robert Fones
archival ink jet print on Hahnemuhle paper, ed. of 5 24” x 24” - paper 31.25” x 29” - framed
Kyrgyzstan Seal, 2018

Kyrgyzstan Seal, 2018

Robert Fones
archival ink jet print on Hahnemuhle paper, ed. of 5 24” x 24” - paper 31.25” x 29” - framed
Byrd Flew 2014
Byrd flew, 2014

Byrd flew, 2014

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 33” x 79”
Apoptosis 4 2014
Apoptosis 4, 2014

Apoptosis 4, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 9.25” x 14.75”
Apoptosis 3 2014
Apoptosis 3, 2014

Apoptosis 3, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 9.25” x 14.75”
Byrd flew 2014
Byrd flew, 2014

Byrd flew, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 18.75”
Amundsen was 2014
Amundsen was 2014

Amundsen was 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 18.75”
First 2014
First, 2014

First, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 17.5”
when 2014
when, 2014

when, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 18.75”
a city 2014
a city, 2014

a city, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 19.25”
shall 2014
shall, 2014

shall, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 18.25”
be as 2014
be as, 2014

be as, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 18.25”
it were 2014
it were, 2014

it were, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 19.25”
beseiged 2014
beseiged, 2014

beseiged, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 23”
and 2014
and, 2014

and, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 17”
blocked 2014
blocked, 2014

blocked, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 26”
about 2014
about, 2014

about, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 21.5”
navigable 2014
navigable, 2014

navigable, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 27.75”
rivers 2014
rivers, 2014

rivers, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 22.25”
infested 2014
infested, 2014

infested, 2014

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 12.25” x 21.75”
we could live forever 2014
we could live forever, 2014

we could live forever, 2014

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 68" diameter
something will kill everything 2014
something will kill everything, 2014

something will kill everything, 2014

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 68" diameter
Peary found 2014
Peary found, 2014

Peary found, 2014

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 33” x 79”
Amundsen was 2014
Amundsen was, 2014

Amundsen was, 2014

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 33” x 79”
Shackleton died 2014
Shackleton died, 2014

Shackleton died, 2014

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 33” x 79”
Apoptosis 4 2014
Apoptosis 4, 2014

Apoptosis 4, 2014

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas 25" x 84"
Apoptosis 3 2014
Apoptosis 3, 2014

Apoptosis 3, 2014

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas 25" x 84"
Apoptosis 1 2014
Apoptosis 1, 2014

Apoptosis 1, 2014

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas 25" x 84"
Apoptosis 2 2014
Apoptosis 2, 2014

Apoptosis 2, 2014

Robert Fones
acrylic on canvas 25" x 84"
Calumet Door 3 2016
Calumet Door 3, 2016

Calumet Door 3, 2016

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 30” x 40”
First 2014
First, 2014

First, 2014

Robert Fones
oil on linen 24” x 40”
Counties 2 2011
Counties 2, 2011

Counties 2, 2011

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 60" x 60"
Counties 3 2011
Counties 3, 2011

Counties 3, 2011

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 60" x 60"
The prince of light 2011
The prince of light, 2011
The prince of light, 2011

artwork detail

The prince of light, 2011

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 50" x 50"
retourne for springes, 2011

artwork detail

retourne for springes, 2011

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 50" x 50"
Thunder the ymage of 2011
Thunder the ymage of, 2011

Thunder the ymage of, 2011

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 50" x 50"
Where Correspondencie 2011
Where correspondencie, 2011

Where correspondencie, 2011

Robert Fones
oil on canvas 50" x 50"
Nun 2011
Nun, 2011

Nun, 2011

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 7.5” x 14.5”
Spot 2011
Spot, 2011

Spot, 2011

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 7.5” x 14.5”
Dragon 2011
Dragon, 2011

Dragon, 2011

Robert Fones
watercolour on paper 7.5” x 14.5”
What You Don't See Displayed 2009
What You Don’t See Displayed, 2009

What You Don’t See Displayed, 2009

Robert Fones
back-lit transparency, ed. of 3 29.4” x 33.5” x 7.2”
naturethea 2007
Naturethea, 2007

Naturethea, 2007

Robert Fones
colour photograph on aluminum, ed. of 3 34.5” x 48”
Ten Splint Wheel 2006
Ten Splint Wheel, 2006

Ten Splint Wheel, 2006

Robert Fones
acrylic on panel 37” x 37” x 5”
Calling White Squirrel 2004
Calling White Squirrel, 204

Calling White Squirrel, 204

Robert Fones
colour photo on aluminum, ed. of 3 36” x 45”
Tatlin's Wallpaper 2002
Tatlin's Wallpaper, 2002

Tatlin's Wallpaper, 2002

Robert Fones
Backlit transparency, ed. of 2 29" x 25" x 8"
18 Possible Puzzle Pieces 1968:2017
18 Possible Puzzle Pieces, 1968/2017

18 Possible Puzzle Pieces, 1968/2017

Robert Fones
mixed media, ed. of 5 7” x 13.5”
Basketweave (Castle Frank), 1998

Basketweave (Castle Frank), 1998

Robert Fones
oil and alkyd on canvas, 48” x 80”