Charley Harper Illustrator & Genius 1922-2007

Posted on: February 3rd, 2008 by: Meg

Charley Harper passed away in June of 2007 . The Cincinnati based modernist artist left a legacy that will live on through his wonderful art work. He was perhaps best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters and book illustrations.

Harper was born in West Virginia and lived on a farm with his family prior to studying art at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. He credited his early life on the farm for helping to shape his art career. He won the first Stephen H. Wilder Traveling Scholarship. He met another artist, Edie Mckee, while attending the academy and married her shortly after they graduated in 1947.

Harper returned to the Art Academy as a teacher and also worked for a commercial firm before becoming his own boss. He and his wife worked out of their home, later teaming up with their only child, Brett Harper, to form Harper Studios.

During his long career, Charley illustrated numerous books, including The Golden Book of Biology and magazines such as Ford Times. His subjects were predominantly birds. He created works for many nature based organizations, including the National Park Service; Cincinnati Zoo; Cincinnati Nature Center; Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania and created interpretive displays for Everglades National Park.

Charley Harper captured the essence of his subjects with the fewest visual elements. Charley described his own work in this way: “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.”

We’ve included some of Charley Harper’s color illustrations.