Summary
Lena Stumpf is a German born painter and interdisciplinary artist based in Australia.
PRIVILEGE
We are overwhelmed by endless streams of information, often forgetting to pause and reflect. Late-stage capitalism, nationalist ideologies and global conflicts place our anxieties above our gratitude. Amidst this chaos, we must remember to reconnect with the sublime. Looking up at the blue sky, if we are privileged enough to have a clear sky above us, is a fleeting retreat from the emotional strain of living in the Anthropocene.
Humans hold the extraordinary ability to both destroy and create our own environments. My body of work examines the dual symbolism of clouds as representations of both peace and war within this context. Through my cloud paintings, I invite viewers to question the origins of what they see. Are these clouds naturally formed, or are they human-made? Do they signify peace or chaos, a calm horizon or the aftermath of devastation? Do they symbolize serenity or catastrophe? Through this, I aim to evoke a sense of introspection about our role in shaping a sustainable and peaceful future amidst global uncertainty.
The rationale for examining these ideas is based on the German concept of Weltschmerz, a deep sense of melancholy felt by the painters and poets of the Romantic era, born from their refusal or inability to accept a world they saw as destructive to personal freedom and intellectualism.
Lena Stumpf is a German born painter and interdisciplinary artist based in Australia.
lenastumpf.com
