Today marks the anniversary of the sad passing of the late, great Modern artist Charley Harper. Here at Fabulous Frames & Art, we are the largest dealer in Charley’s work in the world. Pictured above is Charley with Beguiled by the Wild, one of the well-known books of his work.
Charley Harper was born in Frenchton, West Virginia and came to Cincinnati to attend the Art Academy, where he met his wife, the artist Edie Harper. During his long and distinguished career, he illustrated numerous books, most notably The Golden Book of Biology and Betty Crocker’s Cooking for Two, magazines such as Ford Times, as well as many prints, posters, murals, and other works. Harper’s work focused on the natural environment, and Harper often created works for nature-based organizations, among them the National Park Service; Cincinnati Zoo; Cincinnati Nature Center; Hamilton County, Ohio Park District; and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania.
Harper was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters and book illustrations. He called his style “minimal realism,” capturing the essence of his subjects with the fewest possible visual elements. Using graphic shapes and bold colors, Harper distilled and simplified complex elements. His nature-oriented artwork is often contrasted with the realism of John James Audubon and the simplicity found in Inuit Art.
Cincinnati-based Fabulous Frames & Art is a family-owned business and the world’s largest dealer in the work of Charley Harper, including books, serigraphs, lithographs, giclee prints, and posters. We are proud to also carry work by Charley’s wife Edie Harper and their son Brett Harper. Other artists we represent include John Ruthven, G. Harvey, John Stobart, Mort Kunstler, Michael Blaser, and Charles Frace, among many others.
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