The Weight of Stains, The Wait of Time | Stephanie Fortin

At the heart of Stephanie Fortin’s practice is an ethical inquiry: is it necessary—or responsible—to aestheticize waste in the context of global exploitation and climate change? Engaging with forms and sites at the fringes of development—from the trees of urban forests to the industrial ruins of salvage yards—she examines how their surfaces reveal the entanglement of human activity and ecological systems. During the summer of 2024, Fortin developed her approach in situ at a wrecking yard, “recovering” rusted car hoods through a distinctive transfer process. Working with discarded vehicles, she placed reclaimed silk over the corroded metal, applying acetic acid. As the reaction unfolded overnight, rust—acting as both residue and pigment—was lifted onto the textile.

Aiming beyond documentation, Fortin’s materials engage with time, climate, and intervention, exposing the socio-political histories embedded within them. The resulting images bear traces of decay and transformation, making visible the residues of extraction and consumption. Throughout her work, materiality, pigment, and process converge to confront the affective potential of such material encounters, drawing attention to the subconscious and visceral responses they evoke. In doing so, she challenges viewers to reconsider how spaces and objects deemed obsolete continue to shape both the present and future.

Image detail: Stephanie Fortin 43° 34’ 0.282” N, 80° 4’ 23.86” W (detail view), 2024, silk, rust, acetic acid, 175.26 x 142.24 cm.