Site Created by David Bierbaum 11/14/2000 using Internet resources and text from sites including David Archer's web site and Reiger Fine Art Gallery web site (see links)
Content
David Archer mainly focuses on outer space in his work. He depicts planets, galaxies, solar systems, and stars against the black background of space.
Form
He uses shadow and a 'glowing' affect to make his universes seem to be lit up with an ethereal light. Blue and red are the dominant colors in his pieces, perhaps because of restrictions this particular type of media places on him. However some oranges, yellow, purple, and of course black and white can be seen. The mix of color and use of texture makes the images look very three dimensional. There seems to usually be one large planet then sometimes several smaller ones. He never centralizes the subject, even if it can be said there is a subject to his work, so its visually interesting.
Technique
Working with a hand-held wand, Dave
Archer manipulates high voltage arcs from a few inches to nine feet in
length. Using those arcs he influences wet paint on sheets of glass and
thus achieves cloudy impressions. Archer then completes the planets, comets,
and other forms by hand, using dozens of common and invented art techniques.
Archer's Electric Machines are unique in the world and specifically designed
for experimental painting. They use Tesla Coils implemented into Archer's
machine by tesla engineer Bill Wysock. The main form of painting Archer
does is called 'reverse glass painting.' In this form of painting the artist
paints what he wants on the top layer of the image first, down to the bottom
layer last, on the backside of a sheet of glass.
Bio
DaveBio A
short biography of David Archer as pertaining to his career in art.
Contact
Links
Reiger Fine Art Gallery (Main distributor and promoter of Archer's work)
Tesla Technology Research (Bill Wysock)
Glass Planets by Chris Merrick (Another artist who does reverse glass galaxy paintings, although he does not employ the electric tools of Dave Archer)
Glass
Nebula by Joy Day (An artist applying traditional reverse glass
painting techniques to achieve depictions of the universe)