Masha Archer • The Movie

MASHA ARCHER, THE ART OF THE NECKLACE
FILM PROPOSAL BY GYORGY  VLASENKO

Masha Archer created an extraordinary style in necklaces now displayed in different galleries and collections. What she does is three dimensional sculpture in jewelry materials. When not worn, her pieces rest in cases on walls like icons and other precious objects of art.

What does it mean to be a Ukrainian in California, to be the daughter of sculptor Mykola Muchin who fled the Bolsheviks, what does it mean to be Masha Archer?

The film explores the world of this unique artist. M. Archer shares memories of her childhood, talks about art, and about the late Charles Archer, her photographer-husband. She comments on the San Francisco art scene, being a part of it for twenty-five years now.

Her art is breathtaking: coral, lapis, amber, jade, bone, silver, turquoise, and iron touch the skin. The interaction of her jewelry and the body became the subject of Charles Archer's most inspired photographic work. The motif's of her necklaces recall ancient themes. Slavic style combinations of color are recognizable in the Scithian and Aztec shapes incorporated into the necklaces. It is a decorative extension of the body. Her art is an embodiment of the spirit of color reborn into the shape of beads, whose function is that of body sculpture. Folkloric roots are traceable here through the comparison with Ukrainian pisanki and Cossack Mamai paintings.

The dynamics of the pieces are revealed through movement and balanced juxtaposition with the wearer's body.

This film is an interview with the artist and an inside into her art. This film is about the power of art and beauty to resist time and pain. Masha Archer's art is a glorification of life and the film pays tribute to her talent.