Robert Bryce Muir is a British artist born in North Yorkshire in 1962. He studied Printed Textile Design at the Royal College of Art and graduated with a master’s degree in 1987. There, he learned how to draw on silkscreens to make large prints. He says his work is based on his life experiences and feelings and how people interact with the world around them. He has created many sculptures in various countries, using different materials and techniques. One of his works is a monumental metal sculpture that he made at Buffalo Creek Art Center, which is now part of the sculpture park.

“It’s an extremely rare and almost unbelievable opportunity in an artist’s life that you can go to an incredible place and be given the materials and the chance to make whatever you want, whilst all the time being supported without question throughout. This is exactly what Steve Hardy and his wife Lana have created with their artist residency program at Buffalo Creek Arts Center.

From a working perspective, it was wonderful to be given the time, means and support to think, create, build and become completely immersed in the working process, in the moment, without distraction.

My plan was to produce a sculptural statement that I could not have made anywhere else but at Buffalo Creek. The idea was to be completely open and experimental, and to funnel these abstracts into a series of cohesive forms, which would in turn become a developmental conversation as the piece grew – exhilaration, excitement, difficult questions/decisions, exhaustion and frustration turned into absolute joy as the sculpture found its form, but what really enabled this dialogue was the incredible logistical support : the gantry and hoists to hold immense weight, the welders, gases, tools, Bill and his forklift, and all the space I needed to really spread out.

Added to this, as soon as you walk out of the fantastic metal sculpture workshop, you have stunning views of mountains and valleys – all of which informed the work. I bathed in those views every single day and saw something different every time as the stunning Nevada light changed, and it all fed into the sculpture, just as I’d wanted it to.

The other important aspect that made the residency so memorable was sharing the experience with a really fantastic group of artists: the dinners and laughter at the ranch house every night, the friendships that developed, the conversations and the support we gave each other, it all became a hugely enjoyable part of the story.

All together it’s what made this wonderful venue nestled in the Foothills of the Eastern Sierra such a unique and truly amazing place to be.”

– Robert Bryce Muir

Artist’s Interview