Charley Harper

A Quilter's Garden, 342 River St, Montpelier VT 05602

Charley Harper, born in 1922, was a Cincinnati-based American Modernist artist. He was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters, and book illustrations. In a style he called “minimal realism”, Charley captured 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 natural 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 painting, in a word of chaos, the picture is one small rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe.”