Suzanne Archer has been an influential artist in Australia for over four decades, producing superb works across painting, drawing and sculpture.
Born in Surrey, England, Archer has lived in Australia nearly all her adult life. For the past 30 years she has lived in the bushland suburb of Wedderburn, on the outskirts of Sydney, in a thriving artist’s community.
She made her mark in the art world relatively quickly after arriving in Australia in the 60s and has gone on to win many art prizes including the Wynne prize for landscape painting, the Dobell prize for drawing and the Kedumba drawing prize.
There were two surveys of Archer’s work over 2016/2017 which displayed its impressive depth. She has had 40 solo shows and been involved in over 150 group shows over her career.
In this podcast interview, Archer talks about how her first solo show in Sydney resulted in a media response involving not only newspaper reviews but appearances on television, how the Sydney University veterinary laboratory played a role in her work and she reveals many details of her creative process.
Press play (or subscribe) above to hear the podcast episode and scroll to see the paintings we talk about and a short video taken on the day of the interview.
Upcoming events
Over the next two years Archer will be exhibiting in solo exhibitions with Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Victoria, and at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery and Maitland Regional Art Gallery, both in NSW.
Things and people we talk about in the show

Suzanne Archer at Nicholas Thompson Gallery
Suzanne Archer on Instagram
‘The Story of Art’ by E.H Gombrich
Thirroul
Watters Gallery
David Fairbairn
‘Suzanne Archer: The Alchemy of the Studio’ at Macquarie University Art Gallery
‘Formulas for Painters’ by Robert Massey
Suzanne Archer in her studio on the Talking with Painters YouTube channel (below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg2nq_XPiqc
‘Derangement’ 2010, winner of Dobell prize for drawing
Waratahs – Wedderburn, 1994, winner of Wynne prize
‘Velocipede’ 2016, oil on canvas, 240 x 240cm
‘China Joy’ 2016, oil on canvas, 240 x 330cm
‘Referencial – Reverential’, 2011, ink, charcoal & pastel on paper, 77 x 113cms
‘Vivarium’, Artist’s Book, 2013, timber,leather,metal fittings,paper,acrylic paint, closed 22cm x 31cm_open 22cm x 311cm
‘Blindfold’, 2011, bisque-fired clay with acrylic paint, 20 x 22 x 11cm
‘Witness’, 2012, bisque fired clay, acrylic paint, embroidery thread, 18.5 x 18 x 11.5cm
‘Dodo and Rider’ 2009, mixed media, 67 x 87 x 45cm
‘Win a trip’, 1969, paper collage with cardboard surround, 30 x 30cm
Archer in her studio, 1969, photograph taken at the time of her first solo show at Clune Galleries, Sydney
 
 
 
 
 
 

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