Vincent Stemmler
Sticks in the Mud

“Sticks in the mud” is a collection of the Vincent’s works over a 5 year period investigating ideas of identity, place, and loss. The use of specific geographical materials, such as clay and silt from the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and family heirlooms brings an immensely personal look into the artist’s psychological landscape. Curated by Eric Shultis, professor of art and art history at St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley in Ferguson, Missouri.

2018 Concrete, Rebar, Plant Specimen, Plastic Bottle, Butterfly


2018

2018 Concrete, Rebar, Plant Specimen, Plastic Bottle, Butterfly

2020 Digital Collage


2020 Digital Collage

2017 "Big Bird" light-up figure legs, Insulation foam, broken mirror, nails, concrete from housing foundation, broken bus-stop glass, plant matter, angel figurines, paint, magazine clippings, cement on metal lathe, wallpaper, broken windshield glass, rubber belt, ceramic, baby's breath, spray paint



2017 "Big Bird" light-up figure legs, Insulation foam, broken mirror, nails, concrete from housing foundation, broken bus-stop glass, plant matter, angel figurines, paint, magazine clippings, cement on metal lathe, wallpaper, broken windshield glass, rubber belt, ceramic, baby's breath, spray paint

2018 Motor oil, grass seed with chemical fertilizer, thistle buds, sumac, iron oxide, paper pulp, walnut ink

2018

2018

2018 Motor oil, grass seed with chemical fertilizer, thistle buds, sumac, iron oxide, paper pulp, walnut ink

2019 Healthcare provider billboard tarp, funeral card, broken plexiglass window, burnt clock, grass (grown on painting), paper-clay, trash bag, garbage and plant specimens (gathered on-site in Cahokia), Christmas Lights, bird specimen, spray-paint, oil paint, acrylic paint, charcoal and ashes from a burnt love-letter



2019 Healthcare provider billboard tarp, funeral card, broken plexiglass window, burnt clock, grass (grown on painting), paper-clay, trash bag, garbage and plant specimens (gathered on-site in Cahokia), Christmas Lights, bird specimen, spray-paint, oil paint, acrylic paint, charcoal and ashes from a burnt love-letter

2018 Bisque-fired ceramic made with clay from the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers


2018 Bisque-fired ceramic made with clay from the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers

2020 Horsetail reeds, plywood, imitation-wood veneer, history museum exhibition wallpaper, ceramic, oak gall, architectural fragment from demolished historical building, hummingbird ornament, hummingbird skeleton, puff ball


2020 Horsetail reeds, plywood, imitation-wood veneer, history museum exhibition wallpaper, ceramic, oak gall, architectural fragment from demolished historical building, hummingbird ornament, hummingbird skeleton, puff ball

2020 Ceramic, formica, wood, found objects, museum exhibition wallpaper scrap


2020 Ceramic, formica, wood, found objects, museum exhibition wallpaper scrap

River sediment paper-clay, photographs, Christmas lights, and plant specimen on wood panel


River sediment paper-clay, photographs, Christmas lights, and plant specimen on wood panel

2020 Digital collage print, gold leaf, granite fragment and plant specimen on wooden shingle over placemat


2020 Digital collage print, gold leaf, granite fragment and plant specimen on wooden shingle over placemat

2020 Clay sediment from the Mississippi and Missouri River confluence, Horsetail reeds, straw hat, denim overalls, hookah, coffee table, my grandmother's porcelain music box, brass coffee pot, Lazarus Fern (resurrection plant), German beer stein, cosmic-style salvaged museum exhibition wallpaper, cement fragment cast from the artist's face, an image newspaper clipping of the 2017 eclipse, and a collection of books that belonged to my mother



2020 Clay sediment from the Mississippi and Missouri River confluence, Horsetail reeds, straw hat, denim overalls, hookah, coffee table, my grandmother's porcelain music box, brass coffee pot, Lazarus Fern (resurrection plant), German beer stein, cosmic-style salvaged museum exhibition wallpaper, cement fragment cast from the artist's face, an image newspaper clipping of the 2017 eclipse, and a collection of books that belonged to my mother
Photos by Chris Bauer