Tor Archer | Out of Nature

TOR ARCHER | Out of Nature May 1 – June 1, 2013

Essay by Alan Bamberger

© 2013 Scott Richards Contemporary Art essay © Alan Bamberger Photography by John Wilson White No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

Catalogue design by Ron Shore, Shore Design Printed by Modern Postcard

Front Cover: Pomona (detail) 2013, copper with patina 51 x 15 x 15 inches

scott richards contemporary ar t 251 Post Street . Suite 425 . San Francisco, California 94108 . 415.788.5588 . gallery@srcart.com . www.srcart.com

TOR ARCHER | Out of Nature

T

or Archer’s sculpted female forms silently inspire us, steadfast and enduring, majestic in their dignity. Like timeless archetypes, they silently watch over us, nourishing the essence of our beings. Motivated by his perceptions of the natural

world, Archer considers his classically influenced figures not only in mortal terms, but even more so, as profoundly spiritual beings imbued with transcendent powers and boundless resiliency. These icons of eternity are intended not only to comfort and guide us, but also to stand by and protect us as we confront the challenges of life, reminding us in maternal rather than bellicose ways that all obstacles, no matter how daunting, can be overcome.

The complex interlaced sculptures reference the natural world—the myriad branches in the canopy of a tree, the patterns of fallen leaves on the ground, or twigs washed onto the banks of a river. But they can be perceived in other ways as well, at times seeming to personify humankind and the ways in which, through continuous interactions and lifetimes of shared experiences, we have attained the potential to coexist in harmony and accord. In spite of the fact that all humanity is related in so many ways, we far too often become lost in our own microcosms, and rather than consider one another as brothers and sisters, we become disparate or even combative in our strivings, losing sight of the magnificence that would result from the realization that we are all one.

Like the individual elements in Archer’s sculptures, we invariably veer off in different directions and take life paths that are uniquely our own; but viscerally, his works remind us that we are all interconnected, originating from a single source. In a universal sense, it’s An Effigy of Leaves

Indeed, Archer intends for

the totality of the whole rather than the separate

his works to evoke quiet

component parts that count. His stylized feminine

strength. Each metal fragment of any given sculpture is practically useless in and of itself,

contemplation on the

forms appear ever dependable and resolute, embody

amounting to not much more than scrap when considered on its own. But Archer sees a

potential attainment of

ing empathy as if endeavoring to save us from the

higher purpose, regardless of apparent insignificance, and demonstrates again and again that

ideals via the nurturing,

unacceptable alternatives of strife and divisiveness.

every shard of existence has a calling and a meaning, and can assume its perfect place in the

nourishing, healing powers

Indeed, Archer intends for his works to evoke quiet

grand plan of reality.

of female energy.

contemplation on the potential attainment of ideals

via the nurturing, nourishing, healing powers of female energy.

But that’s not all. Archer’s sentinels allegorize the juxtaposition of weakness and

In the same way that colossal Egyptian statues of Pharaohs or timeless sculptures of mythological Greek and Roman deities were representations of divine being and everlast-

In terms of materials, Archer favors copper by virtue of its malleability, as well

ing life, perhaps Tor Archer’s icons are intended to serve some similar purpose, to be passed

as its strength. Being highly flexible, copper possesses the ability to bend but not break, as

on from generation to generation, to be shared, experienced and meditated upon by all who

exemplified by the conspicuous stamina of the sculptures. He must have considered this

behold them. The artist himself will tell you that in these times of uncertainty and upheaval,

metal’s high conductivity as well, its capacity to convey heat or electrical current rapidly and

his portrayals of the all-embracing greatness of good are intended to encourage us to elevate

with minimal resistance. The beautiful rich beautiful patinas, employed in these recent works—

ourselves, and to rise to the task of making this planet a better place for all who inhabit it.

deep blue greens, midnight blacks, and organic earthen tones—seem to symbolize the natural aging process, the passage of time, and the wisdom we acquire with maturity and experience.

The intricately entangled parts of each sculpture suggest stories within stories.

Woven Reeds consists of manifold metal strips, plaited together like the linen dressings that were used in mummification, perhaps symbolizing eternal life, the preservation of tradition and values, or of forever being remembered for the goodness of one’s deeds. Virgin of the Snakes is a tangle of snakes, creatures that can variously be interpreted as symbols of fertility, metaphors for birth, the umbilical cord, and the connection that all human beings have to nature and the environment. Lush green-hued leaves combine to form Effigy of Leaves, a proud personification of the overseer of our environment, Mother Nature herself, the protector, the source of all life.

Woven Reeds (detail)

AL AN BA MB E R G E R Alan Bamberger is a well known Bay Area art critic, author and advisor. He writes the popular blog artbusiness.com, and has been featured and quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times, ARTnews, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and many other publications.

Demeter 2013, 36 x 8 x 8 inches, copper with patina and paint

Virgin of the Snakes 2013, 35.5 x 9.25 x 9.25 inches, copper with patina

Woven Reeds 2013, 36 x 8 x 8 inches, copper with patina

Pomona 2013, 51 x 15 x 15 inches, copper with patina

Amongst Twigs 2013, 42 x 10 x 10 inches, copper with patina

An Effigy of Leaves 2013, 35.5 x 9.25 x 9.25 inches, material????

Twig Totem 2013, 52 x 14 x 14 inches, copper with patina

Venus of the Apocalypse 2011, 36 x 9 x 9 inches, rusty steel, limestone base

Venus of the Twigs 2012, 35 x 8 x 8 inches, copper, limestone base

“In the end good sculpture takes on a life of its own—an inner life.”

- TO R AR C H E R

Nested Effigy 2011, 81 x 18 x 24 inches, copper, limestone base

Flora 2013, 38 x 14 inches, copper on paper

Madonna of the Snakes 2013, 38 x 14 inches, copper on paper

Virgin of the Leaves 2013, 38 x 14 inches, copper on paper

Winged Figure 2013, 38 x 14 inches, copper on paper

TOR ARCHER Born:

1958, Concord, MA

Education: 1985 – 87 Boston University, Boston, MA 1980 – 83 B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 1977 – 79 Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA

1998

1997

Solo Exhibitions: 2013 Out of Nature, Scott Richards Contemporary Art, San Francisco, CA 2012 Mythological Reclamation, Delgado Street Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM 2011 Nature’s Effigies, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 2010 Figurative Perspectives, Julie Nester Gallery, Park City, UT 2009 Figurative Archetypes, Julie Nester Gallery, Park City, UT 2008 Donna Seager Gallery, San Rafael, CA 2006 Archaic Visions, Charles Campbell Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2005 Julie Nester Gallery, Park City, UT 2002 Hackett-Freedman Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2001 Relief Sculpture: 1989 – Present, St. Gregory of Nyssa Church, San Francisco, CA 1998 SOMA Gallery, La Jolla, CA 1997 Kurt Lidtke Gallery, Seattle, WA 1996 Hackett-Freedman Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1994 Contemporary Realist Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1991 Introductions 1991, Contemporary Realist Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1996

Selected Group Exhibitions: 2013 Origins: Elemental Forms in Contemporary Sculpture, The Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA 2012 Palm Springs Fine Art Fair (Scott Richards Contemporary Art), Palm Springs, CA Do Not Destroy: Trees, Art and Jewish Thought, The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA Marin Masters, The Outdoor Art Club, Mill Valley, CA No Library Card Required, Center for Book Arts and Printmaking, Santa Fe, NM Collector’s Choice, Sylivia White Gallery, Ventura, CA 2010 Magna Carta: Art/Paper, Cain Schulte Gallery, San Francisco, CA The Art of the Book, Donna Seager Gallery, San Rafael, CA 2009 The Altered Book: Artists Re-imagine the Book, Reed Whipple Cultural Center Gallery, Las Vegas, NV Old Stories, New Images, The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA The Art of the Book, Donna Seager Gallery, San Rafael, CA Codex International Book Fair, University of California, Berkeley, CA 2007 Re-Covery, The Brighton Press, San Diego, CA 2006 The Figure, Julie Nester Gallery, Park City, UT 2005 Hernandades Escultoricas, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Ateneo de Yucatan, Merida, Mexico Summer Reading, Steel Gallery, San Francisco, CA Spice Boxes, The Jewish Contemporary Museum, San Francisco, CA 2004 New Work: Gallery Artists, Scott White Contemporary Art, Telluride, CO Contemporary Perspectives, Sonoma Museum of Visual Art, Santa Rosa, CA Hearts in San Francisco, invitational outdoor fundraiser, San Francisco, CA Arcadia, SOMAR Gallery, Fundraiser, San Francisco, CA 2000 Hackett-Freedman Gallery Artists, Shasta College Gallery, Redding, CA Current Works, SOMA Gallery, La Jolla, CA 1999 Fin de Siecle, Terrain Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1987 1986

1995 1993 1994 1992 1989

Select Works: Emerging and Established Artists, Hackett-Freedman Gallery, San Francisco, CA Sculpture Walk, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Hackett-Freedman Gallery, San Francisco, CA Pacific Rim Sculptors, Henry Miller Library, Big Sur, CA Art Fair Miami, Miami Beach, FL Sculpture Walk, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA Previews, Kurt Lidtke Gallery, Seattle, WA The Gold Show, Palo Alto Cultural Center, Palo Alto, CA Crocker-Kingsley Annual Expo, Crocker Museum, Sacramento, CA Ancestors, College of Marin Gallery, Kentfield, CA California Works, California State Fair, Sacramento, CA Dancing on the Continuum: A Survey of Bay Area Sculpture, Works/San Jose, San Jose, CA Contemporary Realist Gallery, San Francisco, CA Elena Baskin Art Center, U.C. Santa Cruz, CA Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, U.C. Santa Cruz, CA Terrain Gallery, San Francisco, CA Small Works of Hunter’s Point Artists, Art Store Gallery, San Francisco, CA East Meets West: San Francisco and New York Sculptors, The Space, San Francisco, CA Three Dimensional Reality, juried show, San Jose Art League Downtown Gallery, San Jose, CA AIDS Day of Remembrance/Images of St. Sebastian, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA S.F.A. Gallery, Boston University, Boston, MA S.F.A. Gallery, Boston University, Boston, MA

Awards: 2009 People’s Choice Award, Old Stories, New Images, The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA 2003 Public Art Award, City of Walnut Creek, CA SECA Award Nominee, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA 2001 SECA Award Nominee, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA 1999 SECA Award Nominee, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA 1994 Award of Merit, California State Fair, Sacramento, CA Selected Bibliography: 2009 “The Looks of Books,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, November 27 2008 “Tor Archer: Inner Life,” Artworks Magazine, Spring, p. 51– 6 2005 “Los Huespedes Primero,” Diario de Yucatan, Merida, Mexico 2004 “Heart Monitor,” San Francisco Chronicle, Datebook, August 29, p. 21 2003 “New Monumental Sculpture for Walnut Creek,” Artweek, News, p. 3 2002 Gallery Guide, West Coast Edition, p. 37, reproduction Crump, Anne, “Art Speak,” San Francisco Examiner, April 4, p. C2 1996 Datebook image, The San Francisco Bay Guardian, September 25 1995 Mayfield, Signe, The Gold Show, Palo Alto Cultural Center, Palo Alto, CA (catalog) Sherman, Ann Elliott, “3-D Explorations,” Metro, August 11– 17 1994 1989 Brunson, Jamie, “Materiality to Deflect Deconstruction,” Artweek, September 9, p. 9 (reproduction) Hurley, Anne, “Group Vision,” The San Francisco Bay Guardian, August 30, p. 29 (reproduction) Mykleson, P., “Sebastian, Gay Cult Hero,” San Francisco Sentinel, November 2, p. 19