John Urho Kemp Explained

John Urho Kemp
Birth Date:18 June 1942
Birth Place:San Francisco, California, US
Death Place:Oakland, California, US
Resting Place:Ashes scattered in the Pacific
Field:Drawing
Training:U.C. Berkeley
Movement:abstract art

John Urho Kemp (June 18, 1942 California, USA–January 31, 2010) also known as "Crystal John"[1] or "Cosmic John", was an American outsider artist, "a metaphysical researcher",[2] and a vegan.[3] His main artistic output consisted of "offerings", photocopied leaflets presenting formulas, drawings, mandalas, magic cubes and verses based on Kemp's ideas of godhood, spirituality and metaphysics. He distributed these leaflets to everyone interested. In addition to the leaflets, he also produced similarly themed original pieces of art for his personal use. Kemp began producing these works probably in the late 1970s. During his lifetime he did not receive much recognition as an artist, however in the years following his death there has been renewed interest in his work. His works are circulated mostly in Art Brut circles.[4]

Life

Not much is known about John Urho Kemp’s life, and the majority of the biographical information extant is sourced from a résumé found posthumously at his estate. John Kemp was born on June 18, 1942 in California to a civil engineer Urho Kemp and a housewife Roberta Kemp. He was their only child. His father, Urho, was raised in a Finnish immigrant community and his mother, Roberta, came from a long line of California settlers.[5] According to his resume, John Urho was a mathematically gifted student, graduating in 1959 from Berkeley High School as one of the honor students in calculus. After graduation, he enrolled at the University of Berkeley in California. In 1965, he obtained a bachelor's degree in chemical and biochemical engineering. Kemp worked as a chemical engineer for almost two years for Union Oil Company's Rodeo refinery.[6] He resigned from his position to study Scientology in England and Los Angeles until 1971, graduating from a Clearing course in 1969. After his money was used on Scientological fees, he became an ex-member. Between 1972 and 1980, Kemp ran an antique store in Los Angeles.[7]

He was interested in metaphysical philosophy all of his life, studying new age and esoteric philosophies. Kemp attended Manly P. Hall lectures at the Philosophical Research Society during the early 1980s and traveled around the world to witness solar eclipses. He was also interested in the properties of healing crystals and was a frequent patron at the Marin hot springs in northern California,[8] During his lifetime, Kemp was also a member of Institute of Divine Metaphysical Research.[9]

Kemp died on January 31, 2010. While his apartment was being cleaned after his death, a trove of his works were discovered there.[10] San Francisco based artist Aram Muksian saved these materials and created an online archive which has sparked newfound interest in John Urho Kemp's work.[11]

Career

Process and materials

The earliest dated works of John Urho Kemp are from the late 1970s. He was most likely a self-taught outsider artist who communicated his ideas about metaphysics, health, meditation, and other topics, such as life, love and divinity throughout his artistic works. His works include mathematical formulas, geometrical objects and gematric calculations closely related to Kabbalah.[12] Most of his pieces were created using pen or pencil on blank scrap paper. However, some of his works were fashioned as magic cubes constructed out of paper and folded to form three dimensional structures. The works were often meticulously drawn and lettered, then copied en masse and distributed to people he encountered. Kemp used to leave copies of his works on random car windshields, and was known to distribute them to anyone he met who was interested.

Exhibitions

Source:[13]

Collections

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Szaefer . Małgorzata . Brut Now - Crystal John . 2023-04-20 . Galerie Tak.
  2. Web site: Davis . Ben . 2014-05-09 . Outsider Art Fair 2014 . 2023-04-24 . Artnet News . en-US.
  3. Web site: John Urho Kemp . 2023-01-23 . christianberst.com . en.
  4. Web site: Treger Saint Silvestre . 2023-04-24 . en-US.
  5. News: November 19, 1941 . Granddaughter of Local Woman Becomes Bride . 4 . Lodi News-Sentinel.
  6. Web site: 2016-09-07 . KEMP John Urho . 2023-09-05 . abcd Art Brut . en-US.
  7. Web site: Résumé . 2023-02-17 . arammuksian.com.
  8. Web site: John Urho Kemp . 2023-09-26 . christianberst.com . en.
  9. Web site: OAF Curated Space - Program - New York - Outsider Art Fair . 2023-01-23 . www.outsiderartfair.com . en.
  10. Web site: 2021-04-29 . John Urho Kemp by Galerie Christian Berst - Issuu . 2023-09-26 . issuu.com . en.
  11. Web site: Crystal John Archive . 2023-01-23 . arammuksian.com.
  12. Web site: Arthur Borgnis, Paris - MEET THE COLLECTOR Series Part Forty One . 2023-04-24 . Jennifer Lauren Gallery . en-GB.
  13. Web site: John Urho Kemp Artist Overview MutualArt . 2023-04-24 . www.mutualart.com . en.
  14. Web site: La Beauté du Diable Fonds Régional d'Art Contemporain - FRAC Franche-Comté . 2023-09-05 . www.frac-franche-comte.fr . fr.
  15. Web site: Power(less): Power, Powerlessness and Illness in Contemporary Art . 2023-09-05 . Prague Art Week 22 . en-US.
  16. Web site: ArtFacts . Do the Write Thing: Read Between the Lines #3 Exhibition . 2023-09-05 . ArtFacts . en.
  17. Web site: EUREKA! . 2023-09-05 . EUREKA! . pt-pt.
  18. Web site: L'homme gris Casino Luxembourg . 2023-04-24 . casino-luxembourg.lu . en.
  19. Web site: Artishock . 2019-11-19 . EL OJO ELÉCTRICO. ART BRUT EN LA CASA ENCENDIDA . 2023-09-05 . Artishock Revista . es.
  20. Web site: beyond . 2023-09-05 . christianberst.com . en.
  21. Web site: do the write thing 2 . 2023-09-05 . christianberst.com . en.
  22. Web site: drawing now 2018 . 2023-09-05 . christianberst.com . en.
  23. Web site: Artists Archive . 2023-09-05 . The Museum of Everything // Exhibition 7 . en-GB.
  24. Web site: in abstracto . 2023-09-05 . christianberst.com . en.
  25. Web site: Treger Saint Silvestre . 2023-09-05 . en-US.
  26. Web site: Brut Now - Les presses du réel (book) . 2023-09-05 . www.lespressesdureel.com.
  27. Web site: Cracking the code » Appleton . 2023-09-05 . Appleton . en-US.
  28. Web site: About YIA ART FAIR . 2023-09-05 . Galerie der Villa . en.
  29. Web site: On The Wire . 2023-09-05 . christianberst.com . en.
  30. Web site: PreTENse . 2023-09-05 . christianberst.com . en.
  31. Web site: John Urho Kemp . 2023-09-05 . Tumblr . en.
  32. Web site: John Urho Kemp . 2023-01-23 . christianberst.com . en.
  33. Web site: Division Leap - portlandmuseumofmodernart.com . 2023-09-05 . portlandmuseumofmodernart.com.
  34. News: Rosenberg . Karen . 2014-05-08 . Unorthodox, Maybe, but Scarcely on the Fringe . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-04-24 . 0362-4331.
  35. Web site: Artist/personality John Urho Kemp Ingénieur, Dessinateur, Illustrateur . 2023-05-04 . Centre Pompidou.
  36. Web site: Antoine Frérot collection . 2023-09-05 . christianberst.com . en.

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