Peter Randall-Page
b.1954
Peter Randall-Page was born in Essex in 1954 and studied sculpture at Bath Academy of Art from 1973-77. After art college he moved to London and spent a year working with the sculptor Barry Flanagan whose poeticism during a time of strict minimalism greatly appealed to Randall-Page. During this time he was encouraged to begin to explore the qualities of carving in stone. The simple concept behind carving particularly appealed to Randall-Page who felt that constructing things was a far more staccato and self-conscious method of making.
In 1979 Randall-Page volunteered to help with the conservation of a 13th century stone frieze at Wells Cathedral where he was struck by the mason’s ability to render growing foliage and drapery. This experience led him to win a scholarship to Italy to study marble carving.
Much of Randall-Page’s work is created through carving a variety of different types of stone. These works are often deceptively simple; suggesting natural forms yet containing an inner tension and energy expressed through his individual sculptural language. His practice has always been informed and inspired by the study of organic form and its subjective impact on our emotions. In recent years his work has become increasingly concerned with the underlying principles determining growth and the forms it produces. In his words:
“Geometry is the theme on which nature plays her infinite variations, fundamental mathematical principles become a kind of pattern book from which nature constructs the most complex and sophisticated structures.”
Randall-Page’s more recent work has seen a further exploration into natural form and pattern and on occasion he has developed his ideas to incorporate working with the age old process of casting and experiments such as Caged Stone II (pictured overleaf) have created spectacular results. Another theme in his recent work is that of the dialogue and interaction of natural forms when they are imposed with a rigid and regular shape or pattern.
During the past 25 years Peter Randall-Page has gained an international reputation through his sculpture, drawings and prints. He has undertaken numerous large scale commissions and has exhibited widely. His work is held in numerous public and private collections throughout the world including Japan, South Korea, Australia, USA, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. Closer to home a selection of his public sculptures can be found in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff and Newbury and he is represented in numerous permanent collections such as the Tate Collection and the British Museum.
