Sculptor Peregrine O’Gormley has a distinct style, one of simple shapes that come together to form sleek, semi-abstract representations of the animal kingdom, from insects to snakes to rabbits, to even humans. Undoubtedly, though, the most frequently sculpted subjects are birds. Throughout O’Gormley’s oeuvre of sculptures—some bronze, some wood—you can glimpse creatures like falcons, owls, robins and wrens. 
After the Broken Wing, juniper, 8 x 18 x 10". Photo by Alec Miller.
“Somehow bird forms seem to be an almost common language, one that we can relate to on so many levels,” says O’Gormley, who resides in Washington. “I’d say that bird imagery tends to stimulate a sense of beauty, simplicity and our own desire to fly, literally and figuratively. Though I work with many subjects and have reverence for each, I do find that birds, raptors in particular, come up again and again as the subject in my mind’s eye when I have something I hope to communicate.” 
Scythe, bronze, first ed., 32 x 30 x 18". Photo by Alec Miller.
One of the bronzes in his forthcoming exhibition at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art in Washington depicts an owl from a perspective not often seen. In Scythe, the form of an owl diving toward its prey is visible against a plate of shiny gray, appearing as though the owl is pushing through a sheet of soft metal. This is the first solo art museum exhibition for the artist. The show, titled Old Tree, includes more than 30 wood carvings, bronzes and stainless steel sculptures. 
New Eyes, bronze, ed. of 9, 10 x 10 x 5". Photo by Alec Miller.
“[The exhibition showcases] the trajectory and fluidity of O’Gormley’s artistic career,” says Greg Robinson, chief curator at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. “The artist combines various styles of art-making, from realism to cubism to abstraction. His sculptures are both personal and powerful, reflecting the beauty of nature, themes of environmental conservation and sometimes even humor.”
Old Tree, Alaskan yellow cedar, 22 x 10 x 9". Photo by Alec Miller.
O’Gormley’s sculptures have resonated with collectors in poignant ways. Collector and fellow artist Karen Hackenberg comments, “From the first moment my husband and I set eyes on Peregrine O’Gormley’s animal wood carvings, we were hooked...This heartfelt connection with nature’s life force is obvious in all of [his] delicate yet powerful carved wood sculptures of the native animals that surround him in his daily life in the Pacific Northwest.”
Peregrine O’Gormley: Old Tree will be on view March 14 through June 7.
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
550 Winslow Way East • Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 842-4451 • www.biartmuseum.org
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