David Whipp's West Pier

David Whipp, a renowned metal worker and sculptor from Brighton, died a year ago today. Born in 1943, he was celebrated for his vivid imagination and exceptional craftsmanship. He created a diverse range of sculptures, including intricate models of animals, vintage cars, motorbikes, and notable large-scale works. One of his most famous pieces was an 18-foot-long sculpture of Brighton’s West Pier, hence this memory of him here in BrightonBeach365.

David and his brother Brian were raised in Buckingham Road during the 1940s by their single mother, Jean, a wedding and ballroom dressmaker. The Argus did a story on her 100th birthday in 2003. David took a welding and soldering course in the early 1970s. He lived in Preston Road, and had his workshop elsewhere in Brighton.

David’s talent was recognized early on by art patron Lucy Wertheim, she who had supported famous artists like Henry Moore, Cedric Morris and Christopher Wood. According to the Whipp family website, David’s most important pieces include ‘The Suffragette’, the ‘Maria Colwell Statue’ (presented to Rev John Lambert for his efforts in preventing child cruelty), and an amazing 18 ft long model of the West Pier (for the West Pier Preservation Society as it was known until 1978).

On his brother’s death, Brian told The Argus, ‘[David] was well-regarded in Brighton, a character [and] very engaging. He could talk the hind leg off a donkey. He was on a business trip in South Africa around 1995 and was invited to a reception with Nelson Mandela. He was the sort of character who would get around and know people. A lot of his work was bought by private collectors. He used to go every weekend to Green Park in London in the 80s and would sell his sculptures to tourists.’

Whipp’s exhibitions in this country and abroad were very successful, according to a short bio on the family website. It also gives the following information. ‘In Bermuda all his works exhibited were sold on the first day. In 1986, the Director of Racing of the North American Championship ordered a model race car made by David to be presented as the Annual Trophy for the new Indy Car Series. His extensive work is in many galleries and private homes around the world. In his later years his sculptures, particularly his detailed models of pre and post war racing cars, were sought by foreign collectors.’

David was survived by his two partners, five children, and four grandchildren. The Argus noted that his family and the artistic community would remember him as ‘a true Brighton character and a genius with his hands, whose spirit and creations continue to inspire’.