Biography   J.A. Pippett

Creativity has shown may faces for Philadelphia born sculptor, Joe Pippett. He learned the art of building homes, by working in the family business, while still in high school. His attention to detail and refinement manifested early, as he came to appreciate the value of a fine tool in the hands of a skilled artisan. Joe's inquisitive mind and disciplined work ethic were recognized with a scholarship to Villanova University. Upon earning a degree in Engineering, he was chosen to be a member of the team selected to perform Research & Development at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Facility, following the infamous reactor incident of 1979. His career, as a nuclear start-up engineer, includes the invention and successful utilization of several pieces of equipment, which are in use throughout the industry today.

Restlessness and a yearning for a more creative outlet eventually forced Joe to leave the security of a fast track career, for the unknown and risky pursuit of acting. First in New York and then Los Angeles, he became a sought after commercial actor. He started a custom home remodeling business, which more than occupied his time between acting jobs. His meticulous work was in such demand by television industry executives, that his own acting career was eventually abandoned.

The desire for a more unique expression of his creativity guided Joe to woodcarving and eventually on a pilgrimage to Camp Verde, Arizona, and the ranch home of master sculptor John M. Soderberg. His intense admiration and their mutual respect led to the beginning of Joe’s apprenticeship. “ I was moved by the man and his work, by his view of the world and by the pure, unlimited potential that sculpting in bronze allows the artist” says Pippett, giving homage to Soderberg and to his newfound love for bronze. Their first meeting accumulated with Soderberg handing Pippett a selection of his own sculpting tools, followed by a simple, understated “You’ll be needing these.”

They continue to work together. Additionally, Joe has studied with master sculptor Jonathan Bickart in Los Angeles. Pippett has recently returned to the film industry, this time through special effects, sculpting for the Jim Henson Creature Shop and John Criswell Productions. He continues to pursue his unique vision; his work reflects an intensely personal expression, which touches our common soul, and makes us rejoice in our humanity. “As many artists before me have done, I have searched for a way to express my feeling about this fantastic gift we call life. I have found it in bronze sculpture. I feel I’ve come home.”
 

J.A. Pippett.

“It is on honor and a pleasure to work with and know Joe Pippett. His ideas, and his expression of them, are fresh and professional, as well as genuinely creative. As in any family, we forget the newer generations at out peril… with sculptors like Joe, the Family of Bronze will stay healthy, and through him and others like him, our future is assured.”

John M. Soderberg