Charlotte Fisher (born 1959) is a contemporary sculptor from New Zealand, born in Whangārei.
Career She began her art career by completing a Bachelor of Arts in Art History in 1981 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture at the University of Auckland and Elam School of Fine Arts in 1989. Fisher started exhibiting both solo and group exhibitions after her studies, with much influence coming from her Elam lecturers Greer Twiss and Christine Hellyar.
Her practice can be identified through her explorations of abstracted shapes, and the use of found and organic materials, such as recycled wood and jetsam rescued from coastlines. The sea and boats are recognised as key symbols throughout her works.
Fisher has taken on multiple public art commissions for Auckland Council including but not limited to works for Grey Lynn Park, Oranga Community Centre, Alison Park on Waiheke Island, and a 1996 Sky City commission entitled Arrival for the hotel's Sculpture Court. Likewise her pieces are held in a variety of national collections, such as the Treasury, Victoria University, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch Art Gallery, and Whangārei Art Museum. She is also a supporter of the Wellington Sculpture Trust.
Exhibitions +Group showsDateTitlePeopleMediumLocationSource1991The Letter Box ShowAndrew Bull, Bill McKay, Charlotte Fisher, Donna Hoyle, Gary Hunt, Gavin Chilcott, Grey Linn, Hurricane Brand, Jane Greensmith, Jane Zusters, Jeff Thomson, Joanna Klein, John Hughes, John Papas, John Reynolds, Kalvin Collins, Mal Bartlett, Malcolm Taylor, Malcolm Walker, Michael Fisher, Neil Kirkland, Pete Bossley, Peter Rogers, Philippa Blair, Pip Cheshire, Rewi Thompson, Richard Priest, Rick Pearson, Rudi Schwarz, Sarah McKenny, Todd Strathdee, Valeska Campion, and Warren Viscoe Sculptural InstallationTe Tuhi2003 - - -Jee-Young Kim, Julia Holderness, Oli Perkins, Jesse Watson, Gretchen Albrecht, Chiara Corbelletto, Geoff Dixon, Charlotte Fisher, Allan Maddox, Peter Panyoczki, James Ross, and Wayne Seyb - - -Bath Street Gallery2003 - - -Charlotte Fisher and Phil Murray - - -Bath Street Gallery2004 - - -Tom Sladden, Helen Calder, Clare Noonan, Kim Pieters, Jo Bruce-Smith, Alice Blackley, Virginia King, Julia Holderness, Mary McIntyre, Charlotte Fisher, and Mary Barker - - -Bath Street Gallery2005 - - -Charlotte Fisher, Chiara Corbelletto, Virginia King, Christine Hellyar, and Katrina Beekuis - - -Bath Street Gallery2006 - - -Jee-Young Kim, Fane Flaws, Leon van den Eijkel, Kim Pieters, Harvey Benge, Simon Ogden, Kathryn Stevens, Mark Braunias, James Ross, Geoff Dixon, Gregor Kregar, Denys Watkins, Charlotte Fisher, Riduan Tomkins, Malcolm Terry, James Robinson, Grant Beran, Gill Gatfield, Katie Thomas, Barbara Bailey, Christine Hellyar, Jo Bruce-Smith, Peter Gibson Smith, Louise Purvis, Peter Panyoczki, and Kazu Nakagawa - - -Bath Street Gallery2007 - - -Charlotte Fisher and Louise Purvis - - -Bath Street Gallery2007Auckland Art Fair exhibitionCharlotte Fisher, Gregor Kregar, James Robinson, James Ross, Leon van den Eijkel, and Denys Watkins - - -Bath Street Gallery/Auckland Art Fair2008 - - -Mark Braunias, Charlotte Fisher, Peter Gibson Smith, Robert Jahnke, Jonathan Jones, Jee-Young Kim, Kazu Nakagawa, Simon Ogden, Louise Purvis, James Robinson, James Ross, Kathryn Stevens, Katie Thomas, Leon van den Eijkel, and Denys Watkins - - -Bath Street Gallery2013 - - -Charlotte Fisher and Tony Bond - - -Bath Street Gallery2014 - - -Mark Braunias, Katie Thomas, Lang Ea, Adrian Jackman, Kazu Nakagawa, Mary-Louise Brown, Charlotte Fisher, Peter Gibson Smith, Peter Panyoczki, Dianne Scott, Jon Tootill, Roger Boyce, Robert McLeod, Jade Moulden, and Denys Watkins - - -Bath Street Gallery2014 - - -Mark Braunias, Charlotte Fisher, Peter Gibson Smith, Island6, Robert Jahnke, Kazu Nakagawa, Peter Panyoczki, Louise Purvis, Bronwyn Taylor, and Denys Watkins - - -Bath Street Gallery2015 - - -Roger Boyce, Jude Broughan, Mark Braunias, Iain Cheesman, Charlotte Fisher, Peter Gibson Smith, Claudia Jowitt, Jae Kang, Kazu Nakagawa, Simon Ogden, Anton Parsons, Peter Panyoczki, Jessica Pearless, Joe Prisk, Dane Taylor, Jon Tootill, Vaimaila Urale, Leon van den Eijkel, and Denys Watkins - - -Bath Street Gallery2015Sydney Contemporary exhibitionMark Braunias, Charlotte Fisher, Peter Gibson Smith, Robert Jahnke, Claudia Jowitt, Kazu Nakagawa, Peter Panyoczki, Anton Parsons, Jessica Pearless, Louise Purvis, Jon Tootill, Leon van den Eijkel, and Denys Watkins - - -Bath Street Gallery/Sydney Contemporary2016 - - -Roger Boyce, Mark Braunias, Chiara Corbelletto, Charlotte Fisher, Peter Gibson Smith, Robert Jahnke, Claudia Jowitt, Kazu Nakagawa, Simon Ogden, Peter Panyoczki, Anton Parsons, Jessica Pearless, Louise Purvis, Jon Tootill, Leon van den Eijkel, and Denys Watkins - - -Bath Street Gallery2016Auckland Art Fair exhibitionMark Braunias, Charlotte Fisher, Jessica Pearless, Louise Purvis, Jon Tootill, Denys Watkins, and Peter Panyoczki - - -Bath Street Gallery/Auckland Art Fair2024Lovers & CastawaysGretchen Albrecht, Philippa Blair, Nigel Brown, Debra Bustin, Gavin Chilcott, Gordon Crook, Julian Dashper, Moyra Elliot, Charlotte Fisher, Tony Fomison, Dick Frizzell, Joan Grehan, Bill Hammond, Philip Heath, Pat Hanly, Christine Hellyar, Louise Henderson, Ralph Hotere, Alexis Hunter, Michael Illingworth, Megan Jenkinson, Emily Karaka, Richard Killeen, Diana Lee Gobbitt, Ron Left, Allen Maddox, Joanna Margaret Paul, Buck Nin, John Reynolds, Michael Smither, Terry Stringer, Marte Szirmay, Alan Taylor, Kura Te Waru Rewiri, Greer Twiss, Jim Vivieare, Mervyn Williams, Brent Wong, et al. - - -Pah Homestead +Solo showsDateTitleMediumLocationSource1988Homage to Polynesian NavigatorsAustralian hardwood, driftwoodThe Arts House Trust Collection1991Reflected PoolsSculptureTe Ngākau / Civic Square, Wellington Central1991The Sculptor's WorkshopWindow WorkAuckland Art Gallery1993 - - -Three large sculptural works in stone, steel and found objectsFisher Gallery, Pakuranga, Manukau City1994UntitledPaint, copper, woodThe Arts House Trust Collection1996ArchWood sculptureGrey Lynn Park, Auckland1996LandsongWood, Copper, Bronze, Paint in SculptureSchool of Architecture and Design, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington1998Red HeadKauri, Australian hardwoodJanne Land Gallery Wellington collection1999SirenDriftwood, Australian hardwood, acrylic paintChristchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū2000SentinelBronze, stoneThe Hub Information Centre, Dent St, Whangārei2001Sculpture 2001Eight sculpturesAuckland Domain2003RockBronzeThe Arts House Trust Collection2004ArcGranite and bronze sculptureEdmiston Trust Collection, Auckland Domain Sculpture Walk2004Rarotonga GatewayCorten steel, graniteOranga Community Centre in Fergusson Domain2007SlitSteel, paintAlison Park, Waiheke Island2007Sculpture on the Gulf exhibition - - -Church Bay coastal walkway, Matiatia20069 Billion - - -For NZ Sculpture OnShore, Fort Takapuna Historic Reserve, Vauxhall Road, Devonport2010 - - - - - -Bath Street Gallery2013My how you've grownCoral, baby teeth, woodThe Arts House Trust Collection2015Line Drawing: The AbyssDigital print on Ilford gallerie smooth cotton ragThe Arts House Trust Collection
Secondary projects
Publication: Signs and Markers: a Sculpture Survey, published 1998 In mid December 2023 as former NZ Nature Fund chair, Fisher went on a subantarctic and Chatham Islands voyage for 16 days on the Heritage Adventurer with her husband Robert, and friend Kim Hill.
Residencies
1993: Rita Angus Artist-in-Residence, Wellington
Recognition
On the 20th February 1991 the Press newspaper reported Fisher as being one of eight New Zealand artists chosen by writer and art critic Ian Wedde for "The South of the World: the other contemporary art" exhibition in Sicily, Rome and Milan. Her artwork and writing were both included in the exhibition and its catalogue alongside the contributions of Chris Booth, Robert Jahnke, Tony Lane, Lisa Reihana, Barbara Strathdee, and Ruth Watson. Regarding her 1993 Sculpture Court exhibition Te Tuhi recognised Fisher has a "significant young contemporary sculptor." The 2007 edition of Art+Object's art catalogue includes work by Fisher, as well as Billy Apple, Neil Dawson, Bronwynne Cornish, Don Driver, Michael Illingworth, Bill Hammond, Tony Fomison, Colin McCahon, Don Binney, and Ralph Hotere.
References
External links Charlotte Fisher Outdoor Art Profile