Brisbane-based Phillip Piperides’ new body of sculptural works is imbued with his abiding interest in Greek mythology and philosophical musings. A career spanning four decades has fostered ruminations upon the passage of time and how to render such into tangible presence.
The exhibition displays a number of the graceful female forms for which Piperides is renowned. Described as dreamlike personifications, they emanate a serenity in essence and pose. The Ariadne, Danya and Joanna bronzes all bear a pensive demeanour. Hands gently crossed by cheek and eyes closed, the subject in Spring 2 is in the process of stepping blithely out into the unknown.
In contrast to such works where light caresses form and lustrous burnished surfaces, there is a series of textured male figures portrayed in various stages of movement. Inspired by the mythical Icarus, these small effigies signify a capturing of time’s momentum. Despite the upright depiction, the Marcus bronze pays homage to the model for these Icarus pieces and his ‘contortionist’ aptitude when posing for them.
Gleaming with highly polished patina, the Reflections maquette is described by Piperides as a meditative double bust representing the vacillating thoughts attending any decision or commitment. The sculptures each sit upon tall white plinths to produce a sensory evocation of forms afloat in time and space.
Enormous skill is required in the lengthy and painstaking processes involved in bringing mute, raw materials into a life-suffused, physical reality. Piperides meticulously presides over every stage. Initially, a clay maquette is formed, the tactile medium providing the means for him to “think three dimensionally”. When content that it is aesthetically fulfilling, he enlarges the form by modelling clay over a steel armature. A cast is then made into which is poured molten bronze. Once cool, the cast is dismantled and innumerable hours of chipping away dross and polishing ensue. Finally, a patination is applied to give the bronze its distinctive colour characteristics.
One of the pleasures in viewing a Piperides’ bronze sculpture arises from our understanding that a soft malleable material has been transposed into a solid and enduring manifestation of mood. We cannot help but engage with his works at a deeply contemplative level.
JACQUELINE HOUGHTON
At the outset of his career Piperides realised the absence of foundries capable of casting bronze sculptures in Australia and so during the 80’s he journeyed to Greece and Italy to investigate the casting techniques of the great masters. He returned to Brisbane with crucial knowledge and established the Perides Art Foundry, generously sharing and teaching the complex processes he’d learnt abroad. In recognition of his service to the arts and the achievements of his personal practice, Piperides was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1989. The grant enabled him to undertake further study in the USA, Canada and England where he explored contemporary methods of monumental casting.
Piperides’ superb craftsmanship and mastery of form has earned him a great number of prestigious public commissions among which include: Clem Jones bust, City Hall, Brisbane 2022; Images, Brisbane Airport; the young Bee Gees sculpture, Redcliffe, Queensland, 2013; the Kokoda Track War Memorial, Ferntree Gully, Victoria, 2013; Darren Lockyer sculpture, Suncorp Stadium, Queensland, 2013; C.O. portrait bust, Sugar Cane Board, Queensland, 2013; Monument to the Vietnamese boat people, Kangaroo Point, Queensland, 2013; Walking On Glass, Brisbane Boys College, Queensland, 2011; Portrait sculpture of Hurry Murry for The Queensland Club 2011; Portrait plaque of the Hon Ian Callinan, Justice of the High Court of Australia, 2011; Memorial to Peter Lacey, Gold Coast, 1997; the Stinson Crash Memorial, Lamington National Park, Queensland, 1997; the casting of the Australian Coat of Arms for the Australian High Commission, Papua New Guinea, 1996; the Hippocrates sculpture, Royal Brisbane Hospital Medical School, Queensland, 1996; Memorial to Banjo Patterson, Winton Shire Council, Queensland, 1994; Coat of Arms for the Commonwealth Law Courts, Brisbane, 1993; Portrait Medallions, University of Queensland, 1990; the Council Crest, Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, 1990; Bronze and Sandstone Group, Mount Isa Mines building, Brisbane, 1987 and a sculpture for Sheraton Mirage Resort, Gold Coast, 1987.
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