John Vincent Stevenson b.London 1959, is a graduate from Maidstone College of Art where he received a 1st class hons Degree in painting in 1980, then went on to study in Holland at the Rijksacademie Amsterdam taking on postgraduate studies in sculpture. He has exhibited widely in Europe including Amsterdam, Lieden, Koln and Dusseldorf. In England he founded the caN Group (contemporary art Now) an english diverse art collective, promoting exhibitions in Amsterdam and Utrecht.
Working closely with award winning architect Michael Winter in 1999, Stevenson commissioned the construction of an eco house for his family in Suffolk, and through this project became more involved with interior design issues. Whilst completing a Masters Degree in Interior Design in 2004, he established the Neutral Space Gallery, and curated exhibitions of contemporary art from artists based in Europe and the USA.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015, he has become immersed in the present, tackling the challenges of adapting to a neurological derailment. Although Stevenson’s work historically engaged with a sober control of measurement, positioning and geometry, he is now compelled to work with the more fluid and unpredictable characteristics of oil paint. This has allowed access to thoughts that struggle with this degenerative condition, but at the same time, has revealed an unexpected sequence of optimistic work. The Threshold ll drawing series, Internal Landscape and Alba paintings, mark this transitional period in his life.
Education
Thurrock Technical College 1975-77 Art Foundation
Maidstone College of Art 1977-80 BA.(Hons) 1st class / Painting
Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten Amsterdam 1985-88 Post-graduate study / Sculpture
University of Brighton 2003-04 MA Degree / Interior Design