I was introduced to American artist and illustrator Charley Harper by a designer friend who gave us his lovely ABC and 123 books as a gift on the arrival of our first son. I was immediately taken by his style and declared that the books were far too advanced for our newborn and I’d keep them safe to give to him later. Well, I have to admit this was over 2 years ago now and he’s still not allowed to play with them. To my defence if the toddler plays with them the baby will want to chew on them and I cannot let that happen to these beautifully illustrated books that I’ve become so attached to.

Charley Harper died only six years ago at the ripe old age of 84 but you wouldn’t know that his illustrations are over 50 (probably 60) years old. To me they are fresh and innovative and reminiscent of Cubist paintings. Like the Minimalism and Cubist movement he distilled and simplified complex organisms and natural subjects and often arranged them in a complex fashion. He called his style ‘minimal realism’ and when asked to describe it, he 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 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 world of chaos, the picture is one small rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe.

His simplified style combined with bold colour combinations make his illustrations ideal for children’s books and the featured titles are all best sellers. Another artist well ahead of his time who left a legacy that future generations of children will enjoy as much as adults.

Ok, maybe I will let the children play with them after all… only under my strict supervision though!

In honour of Charley Harper’s work, December 8, 2006 was declared ‘Charley Harper Day by the mayor of Cincinnati.*
*source: Wikipedia

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

More information | Charley Harper Studio