Piper shows a recent collection of digital prints in this web gallery. His subject matter and sources, along with his unique use of computer 3d modelling software and print techniques, produce works which are evocative and atmospheric. Tom Piper was born in the USA and emigrated to the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. He has taught and worked in Oxford, London, Jerusalem and Dallas. Now retired, he was, for 25 years, the head of the Printmaking Department, Cardiff School of Art and Design, Fine Art, UWIC. He was formerly Director of the Centre for Research in Fine Art, School of Art and Design UWIC.

Tom Pipers work has been widely exhibited including recently at The Royal Academy Summer Show, London, 2005, The Discerning Eye Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London 2005 and 06, Siggraph 2007, San Diego and in the Global Eyes exhibition at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery in 2008. Tom Piper recently was awarded the printmaking prize in Welsh Artist Of The Year exhibition 2010 in Cardiff. He has exhibited his work this year in the West of England, Open Print Exhbition where he won the digital print prize. His work has been shown in the Mall Galleries London in the ORIGINALS 2010 exhibition.

Tom Piper has exhibited both independently and within exhibition groups such as V-6, www.virtually-6.com and the 56 Group Wales, www.56groupwales-art.co.uk

Tom Piper lives and works in Penylan, Cardiff.

“My interest in working with digital media has grown out of my passion for traditional printmaking methods, mainly etching and lithography. I feel the methods of making digital work are similar to conventional printmaking methods in that the process in both methods of working holds such a significant role in the look and feel of the final image. In this set of works I have re-discovered “modern” themes in some of the paintings which have been used as sources, and I have attempted to capture some of the original atmosphere and magic of these pictures through the technology of computer modelling. For example, The two works Table 1 and Table 2 are based on a painting in the National Gallery, London called St. Luke Painting the Virgin and Child attributed to Quentin Massys, 1530. Elements from the painting such as the interior detail, the easel, and the triangular table are reconstructed via computer modelling. Other elements such as the landscape through the window, the square table and the green cloth, are invented props, used to add atmosphere and an increased sense of ambiguity. The extreme view points are compositional devices I use and, along with the “moving” furniture and deep shadows, add an atmosphere of mystery and magic”.

All the prints are for sale and are available as framed or unframed. All works are printed in a signed limited editions of less than 50 copies.

2010/11/12