Harper was celebrated 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.

Harper used many media in his artwork, though he is most famous for his serigraph prints. Recognized for the children's book “The Golden Book of Biology,” Harper was an extraordinarily prolific graphic designer contributing his unique, geometric style to a wide range of publications. He also created interpretive displays and “bio” posters for many nature-based organizations, including the National Park Service and Cincinnati Zoo. The exhibit also includes hands-on art activities based on Harper’s style: tangrams, a large puzzle, and rubbing stations.

Ladybug Lovers



Blue Jay Bathing

Charley Harper (1922-2007) was a modern American artist who studied at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, where he met fellow artist Edie McKee. The couple married shortly after graduation in 1947 and spent their honeymoon traveling the country developing their artistic styles while exploring nature and wildlife.

Harper returned to the Art Academy of Cincinnati as a teacher and also worked for a commercial firm before working on his own. He and his wife worked out of their homes, and later, with their son Brett Harper, formed Harper Studios.

Minimal Realism
Harper 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. 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 regard the picture as an ecosystem which all the elements are interrelated, interdependent, perfectly balanced, without trimming or unutilized parts; and herein lies the lure of painting; in a world of chaos, the picture is one small rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe.”

What is a Serigraph?
Charley Harper used many media in his artwork, though he is best known for his serigraph prints. Serigraphs are made using a stencil process in which an image or design is superimposed on a very fine mesh screen. Printing ink is squeegeed onto the printing surface through the area of the screen that is not covered by the stencil.

Natural Partners
During his career, Charley Harper illustrated numerous books, notably The Golden Book of Biology, magazines such as Ford Times, as well as many prints, posters, and other works. Harper created works for many nature-based organizations, including the National Park Service, the Cincinnati Nature Center; Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. He also designed interpretive displays for Everglades National Park.

Promoting Conservation
Harper also shares his concern for nature through his painting. He was especially concerned with the problem of suburban sprawl—of commercial development infringing on animal habitats and ecosystems. One more recent work, "Backhoesaurus," compares an excavator to a mindless dinosaur terrorizing the landscape. Another, "Coming Soon: Quail Valley Condos," shows wild creatures running for their lives as their homes are bulldozed to make way for new homes for people.

Harper the Humorist
Harper’s wit and light-hearted humor comes through in his compositions, titles and writing. He often included short prose poems for the artwork he made such as those found in his book Birds and Words.

"What will happen if a buzzard, which eats only dead meat, comes upon a possum, which lays dead when threatened? The answer has to be that the mild mannered marsupial will win his Purple Heart - possumously."

An Illustrated Life
Designer Todd Oldham was so inspired by Harper’s work that he began a close friendship that lead to a video and book. Oldham’s book Charlie Harper: An Illustrated Life, is the first and only retrospective of Harper’s art. Oldham wrote of Harper, "Charley’s inspired yet accurate color sense is undeniable, and when combined with the precision he exacts on rendering only the most important details, one is always left with a sense of awe."