Al Farrow

For his mixed media sculptures Al Farrow generally mimics the style of a particular historical period, artist, or culture, adding details that address the violence of war. For example, he has created a set of bowls using the method of Mexico’s indigenous Mimbres people, painting the earthenware using a traditional single reed brush but depicting contemporary military imagery such as B-1 bombers, tanks, and radiation symbols. He has also applied his more than 20 years of bronze casting experience to build miniature Christian reliquaries, Islamic mosques and Jewish synagogues out of munitions such as bullets, guns, hand grenades, and bombs.

He has had numerous solo exhibitions since 1970, including at de Young Museum in San Francisco, Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, and the University of Wyoming Art Museum in Laramie. His work has been in group shows at the Oakland Art Gallery, the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, Falkirk Cultural Center in Marin, and the San Francisco Art Institute, among many others.