John Piper

John Piper

I'm looking at John Piper and his printmaking as he was recommended to me for is architectural prints of churches.  As I am doing prints based around the Icelandic landscape and a church that I seen whilst I was out there in the summer, looking at his work links in well.   John Piper started out studying law and then changed his career path to art after the death of his father, although this has nothing to do with his art, I just mentioned it because it gave me hope. 

As he’s subjects are churches I expected them to be grey and gloomy and have maybe an abandoned feel to them, but he's shown them in bright exciting colours making them look appealing. It said that this was done as a screen print but I think only elements of it must be screen printed, as I can’t imagine being able to use so many colours and get an almost pastel like quality from a screen. John Piper has made pieces in lots of different medias, from tapestry to glass, photography to printmaking, all of which have been of similar subjects. Rural areas, cathedrals and churches, the fact that he’s been able to use so many different medias to cover the same subjects,  shows me that he as a great understanding of the buildings he studies. 

Although I’m working with textiles, his screen prints are done on paper, which I think is why the paint set so flat. Although I’m not big on colour and prefer pieces to be monochromatic, I do appreciate that his use of blues and oranges, and the other complimentary colours in these works. Something that I really like about these pieces  is how he’s used to different styles to make the one building, which reminds me of a patchwork. The prints done on the black background although aren’t realistic, have more of a photographic feel to them. Where the more colourful sides is more like a drawing, both part of the print convey a different side to the church. The darker parts feel slightly eerie with the colourful side feels uplifting, but having the two styles put together balances the printout.  

 Petit Palais: White and Yellow, 1972