Charley Harper

Here's my new favourite artist: Charley Harper (1922-2007) was a Cincinnati based artist, producing amazing prints, posters and book illustrations. I have posted so many on this blog post because they are all so incredible, so clever and so beautiful.

In a style he called "minimal realism", Charley Harper captures the essence of his subjects with the fewest possible visual elements. When asked to describe his unique visual style, Charley responded: "When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don't see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures. I regard the picture as an ecosystem in which all the elements are interrelated, interdependent, perfectly balanced, without trimming or unutilized parts; and herein lies the lure of the painting; in a world of chaos, the picture is one small rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe."

text and images from Charley Harper Art Studio and Charley Harper Prints