1938 -

Sculptor. Born in London, he studied at Wimbledon School of Art (1958-61) and at the Royal College of Art (1961-65) under Bernard Meadows. He taught at the Central School of Art and Design (1965-70) and at Goldsmiths’ College (1970-75). Pye’s work from the mid-1960s was inspired by archaic Greek art. Modelled “organic” forms emerge from or hang within frames or temple-like structures. From 1967 he began to use polished, reflective metal tubes, “in order”, as he put it “to lower the immediate sensuality” of the work. His sculptures began from this time to reflect his interest in the industrial world, particularly such features as chemical plant and engineers’ shop interiors, but also musical instruments. The making of Zemran for the South Bank, where it was set up in 1971, formed the subject of a documentary film, From Scrap to Sculpture. Around 1972/3 the tubes began to follow more rectilinear patterns and were combuined with tensioned steel cables. From 1975 to 1976, Pye was visiting professor at California State University, and his work from this time placed the steel cables in juxtaposition with inclined planes and more solid tectonic forms. His first major commission for a water sculpture was for the New Science Building of Trent Polytechnic in 1981. Following the success of Slipstream and Jetstream (1987) at Gatwick Airport, Pye became a prolific creator of fountains of all descriptions. His Water Wall for the British Pavilion at the 1992 Seville Exhibition was a “pure” water feature, but many of his other fountains have incorporated structures of some sort; bowls, cones or pergolas.