William Pye
William Pye’s career spans over forty years, working mainly in stainless steel and cast bronze. Since the 1980s water has become an integral element in his work.
He is inspired by the extraordinary qualities of water and fascinated by the natural laws of hydrostatics and how these can be manipulated. William Pye’s work is probably best known in Britain to the travellers who pass through Gatwick Airport’s North Terminal and walk round Slipstream and Jetstream. His original inspiration stemmed from being mesmerized by the way a film of water ran down a Welsh road in rhythmic patterns. An opportunity to exploit this roll-wave phenomenon was the 70m wide, 25m high Water Wall at the British Pavilion at Expo ‘92 in Seville on which he collaborated with architect Nicholas Grimshaw.
As part of Salisbury Cathedral’s 750th anniversary celebrations, his new font was inaugurated in September 2008 by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Recent projects include Aquarena, a landmark project for Harbourside, Bristol; the Jubilee Fountain in Lincoln’s Inn; Argosy for Lloyd’s Register of Shipping in London; eight pieces at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland; and an 8m high water sculpture near Athens.
Pye has received many honours for his work, including first prize at the Budapest International Sculpture Exhibition, two ABSA Awards and the Royal UENO Award in Japan. He is a fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Her has had a number of exhibitions across the world, including the USA, Hong Kong, Japan, France and Italy, notably at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice.