Nature meets tech at the Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition

Eric Zippe, an adjunct for the Visual Communications department at DelTech’s Terry campus in Dover, is one of the artists featured in this year’s Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition, which winds down this weekend with its annual reception and awards ceremony on Sunday, March 18 from 1–3 p.m. at the Delaware State University Arts Center & Gallery in Dover.

There is no record of how many artists in the exhibition work in tech jobs, simply because they don’t ask about job specifics, only the agency, on the application. Zippe, who teaches raster graphics (Photoshop) at DelTech, stood out when we asked about tech people featured in the exhibition because he used technology to create the artwork itself.

“Lighthouse” by Eric Zippe. (Courtesy image)

His piece (“Lighthouse,” above) is an acrylic gel medium photographic transfer on wood. “The process involves making a laser toner print from a digital file and then using acrylic gel to transfer the image to the wood,” Zippe said.

In August 2017, Zippe received a grant from the Delaware Division of Arts, allowing him use laser technology to produce his art at NextFab.

“For my newest artwork process I use laser engraving,” one of the tools offered at NextFab Wilmington. The laser-engraved trees have incredibly fine detail, exploring the complexities of the natural world as captured and rendered by modern technology.

The reception and awards ceremony is free and open to the public. The exhibit, which features artwork by current state employees and immediate family members, closes on Monday, March 19. Click here for more information.