Cherry Archer
Cherry Archer is a Vancouver-based visual artist whose art investigates the relationship between humanity and nature, addressing themes of global warming, sustainability, biophilia,
and the importance of being present in the moment. Drawing from the principles of ecopsychology, her practice fosters ecological awareness and explores how exposure to the
natural world enhances mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
Archer’s ongoing Botanical Ice Tile series has garnered recognition through art gallery exhibitions across Metro Vancouver and is currently featured as public art at Capstan and
Aberdeen skytrain stations in Richmond, BC and in Ottawa, Ontario. Her photography has been included in “Human”, the 10th issue of the internationally renowned Prix Pictet photobook celebrating the intersection of sustainability and photography and in the 2022 botanical issue of PhotoEd Magazine.
What We Sow
November 2 - November 23, 2024
Cherry Archer’s artistic practice evolves through her desire to commune with nature and is rooted in her passion for gardening as a vital form of expression and a catalyst for fostering ecologically sustainable practices.
Her latest work, What We Sow, emerges from a summer dedicated to cultivating her community garden plot alongside a contemplative journey through various Metro Vancouver gardens. This process serves as a meditation on the reciprocal dynamics between the gardener and the natural world, reflecting on the gifts received and those offered in return through the act of gardening.
In this photographic series Archer employs botanicals that she has cultivated, received as gifts, or foraged during her explorations. These elements are meticulously arranged and incrementally frozen in water, resulting in what she terms a "botanical ice tile." This composition, illuminated with coloured light, is captured over multiple sessions, each photograph a race against the melting of ice. Each image becomes a visual manifestation of the emotions and sensations evoked during her interactions with the garden.
Aesthetically, Archer draws inspiration from the luminous quality of light and the intricate detailing characteristics of Rococo-era painters such as Jean-Honoré Fragonard and François Boucher. Through the use of ice as a medium, she delves into the tensions between transience and preservation, as well as the interplay of randomness and control. The ice acts as a preservative, symbolizing a desire to hold onto nature amidst the realities of climate change, paralleling photography’s role in capturing the fleeting essence of the botanical ice tile, which gradually succumbs to the inevitable passage of time.
Cherry Archer’s time-based sculpture embodies her anxieties surrounding climate change. The accompanied soundscape of melting ice serves as an auditory timepiece heightening awareness of the passage of time and the urgency of our environmental challenges. This piece incorporates plants representative of all inhabited continents, emphasizing that climate change is a universal loss that transcends geographical boundaries.
With this body of work, What We Sow invites viewers to reflect on their connections to nature, urging a collective consciousness towards sustainable practices and a deeper appreciation for the delicate balance we share with our environment.
Her latest work, What We Sow, emerges from a summer dedicated to cultivating her community garden plot alongside a contemplative journey through various Metro Vancouver gardens. This process serves as a meditation on the reciprocal dynamics between the gardener and the natural world, reflecting on the gifts received and those offered in return through the act of gardening.
In this photographic series Archer employs botanicals that she has cultivated, received as gifts, or foraged during her explorations. These elements are meticulously arranged and incrementally frozen in water, resulting in what she terms a "botanical ice tile." This composition, illuminated with coloured light, is captured over multiple sessions, each photograph a race against the melting of ice. Each image becomes a visual manifestation of the emotions and sensations evoked during her interactions with the garden.
Aesthetically, Archer draws inspiration from the luminous quality of light and the intricate detailing characteristics of Rococo-era painters such as Jean-Honoré Fragonard and François Boucher. Through the use of ice as a medium, she delves into the tensions between transience and preservation, as well as the interplay of randomness and control. The ice acts as a preservative, symbolizing a desire to hold onto nature amidst the realities of climate change, paralleling photography’s role in capturing the fleeting essence of the botanical ice tile, which gradually succumbs to the inevitable passage of time.
Cherry Archer’s time-based sculpture embodies her anxieties surrounding climate change. The accompanied soundscape of melting ice serves as an auditory timepiece heightening awareness of the passage of time and the urgency of our environmental challenges. This piece incorporates plants representative of all inhabited continents, emphasizing that climate change is a universal loss that transcends geographical boundaries.
With this body of work, What We Sow invites viewers to reflect on their connections to nature, urging a collective consciousness towards sustainable practices and a deeper appreciation for the delicate balance we share with our environment.
Strathcona 25 draws its essence from Cherry Archer’s many visits to the Strathcona Community Garden. Established in 1985, this garden stands as the nation’s first community garden. It’s a verdant expanse where individuals unite to cultivate plants, knowledge, community, and dreams.