Rocky landscapes are inspiration for artist
AN artist who finds beauty in the nooks and crannies of rocks has created an exhibition of his work.
Geoff Archer, from Macclesfield and who organises the annual Macclesfield Open Art Exhibition, will be exhibiting some of his own work at the Nicholson Museum and Art Gallery, including a huge eight metre wide painting of Death Valley.
Geoff, who is a former teacher at Henbury High School, began drawing and painting rocky outcrops of the Peak District in the 1990s and now enjoys travelling the globe to find different landscapes to capture, particularly the canyonlands of the western United States and Sardinia.
Rather than a traditional landscape, the paintings are close-up details of the colours, patterns and textures of the rock surface.
Geoff said: “Whilst I would have liked to have had an exhibition in Macclesfield, unfortunately there is no venue capable of hosting a large show.
“But holding the exhibition in Leek is quite appropriate as many of the paintings are of the Roaches, just a couple of miles out of town.
“There are also paintings of other parts of the world, most notably the dramatic landscapes of the western United States. I am particularly looking forward to seeing my painting of ‘Zabriskie Point’ on the walls of the gallery. I have only ever seen it displayed once before.
“Being more than eight metres long, it’s usually too large too display – and certainly too big for my home.”
The Leek exhibition follows successful solo exhibitions at Buxton, Macclesfield and Stockport.
Originally from Manchester, Geoff has lived in Macclesfield for more than 40 years. He has gained a BA in fine arts and an MA in art history from Manchester University.
The subject of his dissertation was the figurative sculpture of British First World War memorials, which ultimately led to the publication of his first book, ‘The Glorious Dead’, in November 2009.
His second book, ’Public Sculpture in Britain: A History’, was published in May 2013. Most recently he has written a book, ‘Not Forgotten’, about war memorials in and around Macclesfield.
In the 2015 Macclesfield Open Art exhibition Geoff was also awarded the Visitors’ Choice Award for their favourite work.
Geoff’s show runs from until April 8 at the Nicholson Museum and Art Gallery, Stockwell Street, Leek.
For more information go to geoffarcher.co.uk.