Monday, March 18, 2024

Charley Harper Illustrations

Every year I make sure and buy the Charley Harper calendar. Its a tradition. I keep it nailed up in the kitchen, by the door, so I can see it as I go in and out. I love his humorous and graphically geometric approach to depicting nature, particularly birds. 


From his official bio

"Charley Harper (August 4, 1922–June 10, 2007) had an alternative way of looking at nature. His serigraphs were large expanses of rich color, which gave the viewer a very different perspective on the animal kingdom. A conservationist as well as an artist, Harper revealed the unique aspects of his wildlife subjects through highly stylized geometric reduction. Harper said he was 'the only wildlife artist who has never been compared to Audubon,' yet his wildlife art was just as instructive—the only difference was that Harper laced his lessons with humor. Harper believed that humor made it easier to encourage changes in our attitudes and awareness of environmental concerns."

 Here are some early examples of his illustration work from the books Tin Lizzie (1955) and Dinner for Two (1958 edition). He was developing his style here. This is all thanks to the Charley Harper Prints site

















Related:

Charley Harper in Ford Times Magazine 1961 - 1965

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