Line and Curves: A Prospective/Retrospective by Tom and Stephen Peck
This month, the Gallery Annex presents “Line and Curves: A Prospective/Retrospective” featuring the work of father and son artists Tom and Stephen Peck. “Art and design have always been central in my life,” artist Tom Peck explained. “After earning a degree in graphic design from the University of Cincinnati, I was blessed to make my career the practice of applying art to business.” After a long and fruitful career in Indianapolis, Tom retired and turned his attention to his most recent hobby. “Woodturning grabbed hold of me about 10 years ago, and has provided a way for me to combine my love for the outdoors with my creativity,” he said. Tom continued, “For my son Stephen, this show will be a retrospective. Stephen passed away last October at the age of 28 as a result of significant congenital heart defects.” During his life, Stephen Peck underwent multiple surgeries that left him with a heart that was literally two-chambered. Yet, according to his father, he lived life to the fullest.
“In addition to creating his art, he loved the outdoors, and enjoyed camping, hiking, swimming, skiing, and shooting,” his father said. “As Stephen told me, ‘I do everything with half a heart, but I don’t do anything half-heartedly.’” Stephen’s passion for art began when he was young. After graduating with a B.A. in Fine Arts from Columbus College of Art and Design, he worked as freelance artist while also creating his own art. According to his father, Stephen’s work is heavily influenced by the artists of the Dada Movement, and consists of both digital and screen prints combining a bold use of line, shape, repetition, and color to create lively designs. The work of this father and son displays a delightfully unlikely collaboration of media, undergirded by the memories and love shared by a father and his son. “We never had the opportunity to really collaborate like this,” Tom said. “It’s an honor to bring Stephen’s work to the Harrison Center.”