Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin W. Archer.
Hi Justin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always had an interest in art, but it was visiting a sculpture museum right before beginning college that was the catalyst for me becoming an artist. I went to school for an MFA in sculpture at the University of North Texas, where I began sculpting figuratively, exploring the fragility and wonder of the contemporary human experience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would love to say the path has been smooth, but in reality, it has been a learning process for me every step of the way. In graduate school, I had peers and professors who were instrumental in my understanding of contemporary art and art theory, but I am largely self-taught with respect to the figure. I have made numerous “bad” sculptures of the figure in order to gain an understanding of form, movement, anatomy, and the differences between a dynamic piece and a static one.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My sculptural works contemplate how the fragility and beauty found in the natural world image the contemporary human experience. These sculpted and installed works are often laminated from hundreds of blocks of wood, containing negative spaces and fragmented pieces. Through traditional wood carving processes, these structures are laboriously formed into lifesize figures, exposing geometric voids. The subtractive carving process alludes to the ongoing weathering that our physical bodies experience. The seemingly digital voids expose the fragility within the figure, evoking new sentiments about the deeper internal state of these individuals.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I was very active and interested in a number of things. I would frequently bounce around from different passions – music and art, skateboarding, video games, and cars were all interesting to me. I was very inquisitive and often distracted, but art-making was one of the few ways I was able to settle my mind to focus.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jwarcher.com
- Instagram: @j.w.archer
