“ghostly nature paintings with the vibe of both photographic negatives and infrared video”
-Fish Griwkowsky
Working in the vernacular of the New Romanticism, Gordon Harper’s paintings are inspired by Alexis Rockman’s deep dives into ecological time, and Kim Dorland’s bush party rhapsodies. “My wilderness is a mediated wilderness. It exists in television shows and cinema, in natural history museums, in fleeting excursions to the world beyond the city. From the far edge of the Western mind, we can look deep into the world from which we have estranged ourselves, and it looks back at us.” - Gordon Harper
Gordon Harper was born and raised in Medicine Hat, and begun his formal studies in the Art and Design Program at Medicine Hat College in 1989. He earned a B.F.A. from the University of Calgary in 1993 and a M.F.A. from the University of Alberta in 1997. He has lived and painted in Edmonton since 1993. His work has been displayed at commercial and public galleries, including the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre and the Alberta Legislature.