The illustrations ‘The Corruption of Rust and Moths (1 & 2)’ were selected for publication in 20x20 Magazine, an arts based publication that brought together writing and imagery based around a meta word or idea. For issue 5 the meta word/theme was 'Basic Needs'.
The 'Hiding The Light' series, as a body of work, explores notions of insularity in an era of ideological scepticism. This 6-part sequential body of work, is based on Matthew 6:19 ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where rust and moth doth corrupt’, and the familiar parable of ‘hiding your light under a bushel’.
The illustration, 'Wrestling with Angels', was selected for inclusion in Images 34 : The Best of British Illustration 2010. It combines analogue and digital media as a method for creating illustrations. The title refers to the narrative of Jacob 'wrestling an angel' and the image is a composite of drawn and found materials.
The Illustrations below form part of a series entitled 'Half-Light'. These experimental paintings/graphics form the basis for an artist's book of the same name and were created to form a self-promotional artefact. The images and texts, in equal part reflect upon the notion of 'Half-Light', a psychological period or time of day, between day and night, when certainties become dislocated, the physical / visible becomes indistinct, our fears or doubts become tangible and the search for rationality offers no solution or comfort.
Commissioned by Wells Cathedral, as part of the Cathedral's millennial celebrations, 'Mending the World' was an exhibition of work by Bristol based artists 'Elemental'. The theme of the exhibition was 'a journey from brokenness to wholeness' with artwork exhibited in the form of paintings, sculpture, sound, textiles, video and interactive art. The exhibition was installed in the Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral for 4 Months. As well as creating the graphic identity I was also commissioned to produced two A0 illustrations that were shown within the exhibition. The illustrations attempted to articulate a personal viewpoint, that for the Church to remain relevant in contemporary society, it should be a place for people to find hope and restoration in the storms of life.
A sample of full colour editorial feature illustrations for Building Magazine and Waterstone's Magazine.
This project explores the visual interpretation of parabolic form and structure, when applied to contemporary image-making and illustration. Parables are in essence verbal illustrations, narratives from an oral tradition constructed to illustrate a cultural, moral or ideological truth. Many parables are rhetorical, ending in a question, demanding that the listener or viewer take a proactive role in the interpretation of meaning. Taking this as a starting point and examining the linguistic and semantic devices used in parable structure (metaphor, simile, allegory), I created a body of illustration work that aimed to explore these narrative devices and integrate them within my own visual process.
All photographs and illustrations within the site are the copyright © 2022 of Chris Harper / Deleted Manual unless otherwise indicated.