Jo has exhibited internationally, often making work from commissions or through residencies that explore the history of a site.
After studying painting at Falmouth School of Art, Jo worked at Chisenhale Studios for two years before undertaking an MA in Sculpture at Chelsea College of Art and Design. Returning to Chisenhale, she initiated an education programme with local schools and helped build Chisenhale Gallery, an experience which was formative in her desire to work in and create public spaces alongside studio work. Over the next 20 years, her studio practice was supported by running workshops for the Whitechapel Gallery, Tate, Camden Arts Centre and part-time teaching. Her first full-time teaching position commenced in 2008 when she became head of Printmaking at the RCA.
Jo was an Ampersand Fellow at the British School at Rome in 2022, and has previously undertaken many residences, including a Henry Moore Fellowship at Kettle’s Yard, Artist in Residence at Warwick University and a Yaddo Fellowship in New York. Commissions have included a permanent installation for Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (in collaboration with Darrell Viner) and work for a joint project Triplicate between Tate St Ives, Southampton City Art Gallery and Eastbourne Gallery. Her work has been the focus of solo exhibitions such as No News, Arnolfini, Bristol; Changing Places, Camden Arts Centre, London, and Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, Rest Assured, The Showroom; If Not Now When, Dilston Grove, London; and –scape, Mead Gallery, University of Warwick.
Her engagement with research is intrinsic to the nature of her work which frequently involves references to texts, archives and the histories of processes and materials.
Key details
School, Centre or Area
Expertise
Gallery
More information
Research interests
Jo's research activities in the last five years have centred on residencies and research and development commissions. She has developed bodies of work which explore the narratives and structures which grow from the histories of a sites or found image.
Explorations of the construction of the natural world, fuelled by residencies at Yaddo in New York and Braziers near Reading were located in rural settings. She also generated a large body of work over two years which investigated Cowleaze woods in Oxfordshire and the associated crafts of forestry and furniture making. This work was presented at several open days and open studios.
Jo has also been researching digital arts following an invitation to curate an exhibition for the Mead Gallery, University of Warwick. She visited Ars Electronica and Transmediale in 2006 and in both forums found a focus on the technical and a lack of engaging art, though there were many interesting social projects. This interest has been refocused into the development of a Hayward Gallery touring exhibition on scanning.
Jo’s desire to examine the conjunction of art and technology comes from the belief that we urgently need to understand the human implications of this phenomenon and not just celebrate its newness. By working with students and staff in Rapidform RCA and immersing herself in unfamiliar programmes and tools (such as the haptic arm), Jo explores these issues from the inside (action research). Her research was presented in January 2009 at a conference on 3D print, which she co-organised at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Jo’s residency at the Centre for Drawing at Wimbledon School of Art in 2007 gave her the chance to reflect on some of this work and explore her fascination with the real/virtual through prints, drawings, animations, photographs and discussion with artist researchers. Having constructed a large corner on wheels, Jo played with the sense of the fluidity and change in the solid ‘real world’ – which is infused with an understanding of a parallel, virtual one.
Publications, exhibitions, other outcomes
Solo Authored Publication
Stockham, J. (2007) Notes 2, London: Wimbledon School of Art
Essays and Articles
Stockham, J. (2015) ‘Hard Copy’, in: EVA –Conference proceedings Electronic Visualisation and the Arts, London
Stockham, J. (2015) ‘Negligent Eye’, in: Impact conference proceedings China Academy of Art, Hangzhou China: China Academy of Art, 291–300
Stockham, J. (2014) ‘Telematic Time Travel’, in: Biggs, B. and Parsons, J. (eds) The Negligent Eye, Liverpool: Bluecoat Gallery, 5–7
Stockham, J. (2013) ‘Re–Print’, in: Between, Before and After, London; Royal College of Art
Craddock, S., Leckey, M. and Stockham, J. (2011) ‘A Conversation’ in: Langford, T. (ed) Future Works, London: Royal College of Art
Stockham, J. (2010) ‘Printmaking is an Expanded Field’ in Collini, L. and Fonseco, A. (eds) and then again, Lisbon, Portugal: Museu da Cicade, 6–9
Solo Exhibition Catalogues
Tawadross, G. (2000) If Not Now When, London: Café Gallery Projects
Hunt, I. (1997) –scape, Warwick: Mead Gallery, University of Warwick
Levy, D (1990) Jo Stockham – record of a residency, Cambridge, UK: Kettles Yard Cambridge University
In Press
Stockham, J. (May 2016) ‘Docked and Parked’ in Joseph-Lester, J., King, S., Bottazzi, R. and Blier-Carruthers, A. (eds) ‘Walking Cities’ London: Royal College of Art and Royal Academy of Music.
Stockham, J. (2016) ‘Image Capture’ in Chance, V. (ed) RE:PRINT_RE:Present, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge
Stockham. J (2016) ‘Five Years On’ in Machado, G (ed) PPP: Pure Print Publication, I2ads, Porto
Stockham, J (2015) ‘Shape Shifting’ paper delivered in panel Complicating the Picture intersections of Photography with Print since 1990 convened by Jimin Lee and Ruth Pelzer-Montada (14.02.2015) CAA conference, Sutton Palour North, New York Hilton, New York
