Our good friend and fellow artist David Viggers died on March 28th from cancer. He was 71.
David held several senior roles during a 23 year career in Reuters Pictures. He was a photographer and master photo editor who worked in London, Brussels, Rome and Lisbon. His pictures were published around the world.
David joined Reuters in early 1985, when the agency’s first Pictures Desk opened and left in 2008 to return to his first love of painting and sculpture. He enjoyed more than 17 years of retirement and spent many happy hours at Putney Art School.
Eithne Healy said: “David was a fantastic student who was loved by all of his artist friends in the sculpture class. He never seemed to fully appreciate the power and resonance of his work but we did. He will be greatly missed. We will carry his spirit and kindness with us always.”
Gavin Maughfling, his painting tutor, wrote: “He was the most self-deprecatory of students and I was never able to get him to see or admit the strength of his work much of which floats clearly before my eyes as I think about him. David made a deep and meaningful impact, his presence at painting class, along with Beatrix, was always joyful.”
His other tutor Annabel Cullen wrote: “Such a kind, ebullient, generous-hearted man, he made a great contribution to the group with his powerful charcoal drawings and friendly wit. ”
Simon Ashworth, his good friend and ceramics tutor, added: “He was a big man who had a massive effect on everyone he met.”
Everyone absolutely loved having David in class – gentle chats, kind words and an undiminished flair and imagination. ‘Mud wrestling’ was his phrase for sculpture. His results in clay and oil paint were really beautiful. We all loved hearing about his house in Portugal and his experiences there.
“The house in Portugal was also his creation and, in many ways, his work of art,” said his wife, Clare.
And his good friend of 45 years, the former Financial Times Lisbon correspondent Peter Wise, said: “David was a man who took huge pleasure in making good things: Photographs, gardens, paintings, sculptures, wonderful meals and much more.”
The family would like to thank everyone for their kind words in numerous cards, letters and messages.
He is survived by Clare, son Ben, daughter Beatrix and granddaughter Wren, born to Beatrix last October.