Bio Visually responding to questions posed by Romare Bearden; "The artist confronts chaos. The whole thing of art is, how do you organize chaos?" Jos Stumpe's abstract paintings, prints and drawings accept this challenge as they investigate the perception of chaos in nature. For the Dutch born, New York based artist making art is like a refuge where he can process the complexities of the world.
After more than twenty years having put his creativity into translating other people’s ideas into word and image, Stumpe felt the need to create something of his own. Initially the medium to realize this became clay. He studied Ceramic Design at The Glasgow School of Art, Scotland, and graduated in 2012. Having moved from Amsterdam to New York in 2012, he has been exploring sculpture, painting and printmaking, at the National Academy School. In September 2015 Stumpe finished the Studio Art Intensive program at the National Academy School. Since then he works in his own studio in Chelsea where he dived into the world of Mokuhanga, the Japanese technique of water based woodblock printing. During the lockdown due to Covid-19 he started drawing with oil pastels. In 2023 Stumpe started designing fabrics with his art works and making clothes. Art EducationStudio Art Intensive Program, National Academy School, New York. September 2013-September 2015.
The Fundamentals of Sculpture, National Academy School, New York. September 2012-June 2013. BA Ceramic Design, The Glasgow School of Art, Scotland UK. September 2007-September 2011. |
Statement Making art, is like a refuge where I can process the complexities of the world. It’s like an inner shed in which I can lose myself. My inspirations are many, but especially the continuous cycles of systems getting out of balance and finding their balance again. Creating order out of chaos and reflecting on complexity is part of my creative process.
By balancing the quiet and the chaotic, my non-representational oeuvre resonates with sharp contrasts, oscillating from moments of intensity to empty space. Comparable to a person’s shifting moods, my work goes from one extreme to the other, forging an open relationship between the composition and the viewer, employing color, line, and shape. My visual conversations ask the viewer to push the boundaries of abstract art, finding the personal in the non-representational. Chance is a leading principle in my artistic practice. Taking chances to achieve the unpredictable and working by chance so I can spontaneously interact with the mediums I am using. Chance invites me to change with the tides, to broaden horizons, enrich experiences, and try new avenues. |