Michael Stumpf: Glöckchen Whiplash

Source: The List (Issue 603)
Date: 22 May 2008
Written by: Theresa Muñoz

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Sorcha Dallas, Glasgow, Sat 31 May–Thu 5 Jun

SCULPTURE

Following his 2005 exhibition at Sorcha Dallas, Once, Michael Stumpf returns to the Glasgow venue with Glöckchen Whiplash, a series of new sculptural works produced at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop in Aberdeenshire, and the artist’s own studio in Glasgow. Pairing the words ‘diminutive bell’ and ‘whiplash’ these works offer a glimpse into the artist’s wider concerns. Using durable materials such as bronze, denim, aluminum and jersey, which are recurrent in his work, Stumpf meditates on the natural properties of these substances.

Stumpf’s works in this exhibition are both free-standing and suspended from the ceiling in what he describes as the ‘straightforward’ space at Sorcha Dallas. The artist also pairs his sculptures with three-dimensional text works, created at the same time as the sculptures, which touch upon his cornerstone themes of transience and dislocation. Stumpf’s sculptures often elude easy interpretation, but the atmosphere surrounding them is more tangible: expect a stark and chilling installation.

Born in Mannheim, Germany, Stumpf now lives and works in Glasgow, a place he feels is ‘diverse and healthy’ for artists. ‘There’s not very much difference between the two cities,’ he says, ‘except the language.’ A graduate of Glasgow School of Art’s MFA, Stumpf also served as a committee member of the Transmission Gallery.

More: Michael Stumpf, Michael Stumpf: Glöckchen Whiplash, Sculpture, Sorcha Dallas, Previews (Visual Art)