A career as an artist was not inevitable for Peregrine O’Gormley. A quaint childhood spent in the remote nature of New Mexico with the influence of two generations of sculptors before him, and perhaps nominative determinism, did light the fire. Organic discovery and youthful curiosity about local trees, fossils, birds, and botany fostered an enduring fascination with the natural world. The influence of early mentors remains evident throughout the artist’s practice today.
An insatiable curiosity of the natural world eventually led to more formal studies. O’Gormley pursued biology at Colorado College. Carving, sculpting, and drawing remained constant companions, but kept largely out of the classroom. His artistic practice was no less rigorous, though kept deliberately distinct from his academic work. As O’Gormley reflects, “...I felt that keeping my creative work separate from my professional/income work would help to maintain the ‘purity’ of the work’s derivation and purpose.” Eventually realizing that the time required to truly hone his craft could not coexist with another career, he committed fully to sculpture in 2008. Like his grandfather, a sculptor and jeweler, and his father, not a professional sculptor but an extraordinary talent and teacher, O’Gormley continues a rich family tradition in the arts.
Wood was the first material to capture the artist’s heart and remains his most prevalent medium. Its beauty and abundance made it a natural choice. Scrub oak and ponderosa pine surrounded his childhood home, and one particular mighty ponderosa, O’Gormley considers among his greatest teachers. Respectfully, only fallen trees are used as the basis for his carved sculptures. Metaphorical homage to both subject and material emerges through the transmutation of wood carving into cast bronze. The human experience can be appreciated through an empathetic exploration of each subject.
Fledgling traces the evolution of this lifelong dialogue between curiosity, craft, and care. The title speaks to beginnings, both remembered and ongoing, and to the fragile, persistent act of taking flight. In these works, O’Gormley honors the formative forces that shaped him: the natural world, the lineage of makers before him, and the quiet lessons learned from time and transformation. Each sculpture becomes a meditation on growth, echoing the artist’s own journey from observation to embodiment.
