Curious by Nature: Works by Charley & Edie Harper

Featuring over 80 prints and original paintings, Curious by Nature: Works by Charley & Edie Harper provides a comprehensive look into the quirky, whimsical world of artists Charley and Edie Harper.

Charley Harper is world famous for his signature style of ‘minimal realism,’ capturing the spirit of his subjects with elegantly spare visual elements. Born on a farm in West Virginia in 1922, Harper was enthralled by the surrounding wildlife. He developed his playful sensibility in the context of midcentury modernism, focusing on animals and nature. Over his career, he created pieces for many environmental organizations, including the National Park Service, Everglades National Park, and the Cincinnati Zoo. Charley’s work has become part of he public consciousness, having been widely reproduced on merchandise ranging from umbrellas to stationary.

Edie Harper worked in several mediums, including photography, sculpture, textiles, and jewelry. Curious by Nature includes examples of her prints, which also focus on natural subjects, particularly cats, as well as scenes from Biblical stories and childhood memories. Her work has been featured in several shows, including Minimal Realism at the Cincinnati Art Museum and Graphic Content at Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center.

At the MSV August 31, 2024, though January 5, 2025, Curious by Nature: Works by Charley & Edie Harper is organized by Springfield Museum of Art and Fowler Artistic LLC. The exhibition’s MSV display is sponsored by Shenandoah Oncology.