Christopher Dean

I was born in Ruishton in 1955 and through my later school years saw the M5 Motorway arrive and its accompanying out of town shopping developments. My first job was with the County Planning Departments and the County Surveyors for 3 years until I decided I wanted to study Art and Design.

So after taking an Art Foundation Course at Somerset College of Arts and Design  I went on to Wolverhampton Polytechnic to take a BA(Hons) in Fine Art 1976-1979 and then to study Sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools 1979-1982 gaining a Royal Academy Schools Postgraduate Diploma in sculpture.

In 1982 I married Sophie Gibberd and we moved to Norfolk where we renovated a yoemans cottage for three years whilst I completed some commissions. We moved to Somerset to use our skills to do another self build project in renovating a barn in Corfe. With our baby William on the way I realised I had to go into teaching so In 1987 I completed a PGCE from Exeter University teaching 14-18 Art and Design. In 1989 baby Alice was born to complete our family. 

Between 1988 -1992 I taught Art and Design, Ceramics and 3D studies at Kings College Taunton.

So in 1992 working from home I set up as a freelance sculptor working in the South West of England creating sculpture for shows in London, I also lead workshops and residencies in Somerset Primary Schools.

In 1995 I moved to Cheshire where at South Cheshire College I had responsibility for the 3D workshops but also taught Art and Design, Sculpture and Ceramics to students of 18 to 60 year olds.

In 1999 I heard of a new technology that had arrived at the Hothouse Technology Centre in Stoke On Trent. I had only just been introduced to email at my college but when understood the potential of this new 3D modelling system I gave up my lecturing job to train on the computer system In 2000- 2004 I began work for the American company SensAble Technologies Inc. demonstrating their new haptic 3D CAD modelling software in the UK, but also in France and Germany. The new technology utilised Haptics which allows the user to 'feel' the 3d model  on the screen. enhancing an artisans hand crafting skills. 

In 2004 I became Product Development Consultant at National Museums Liverpool researching the digital production path from scanning museum objects to interpretation models, replicas and developing new products for retail. I was also able to use my stone carving and modelling experience to create and finish replicas made on a 6 axis CNC machine.

In 2008 I started Freeform Studios Ltd offering 3D CAD modelling services and producing replicas for Museums including the Staffordshire Hoard. from this time I also worked with local and national companies and designers in the UK and France as well as projects with museums.

As a seperate venture in 2010 I teamed up with Virtalis, a world leading virtual reality software solutions provider, I launched Touch & Discover Systems Ltd so that In 2012 Manchester Museum with funding from Stavros Niarchos Foundation enabled work to start on the new Probos® Sensory Console and galleZeum® interactive application.