About Anthony Harris
"I use the landscape as a metaphor. My work explores the complexity of the terrain in ways that challenge the viewers' own boundaries and conventions of romanticising something, in the present, or may occur in the future - moving beyond our preconceived and comfortable human perceptions. These landscapes hold within them aspects other than pure nature - the panorama is composed of elements that bear witness to change and evolution."
Anthony Harris studied Fine Arts at the Natal Technikon under some of South Africa's foremost artists; Andrew Verster, Patrick O'Connor, Paul Stopforth and Gavin Younge. After graduating, he taught art at various institutions in Natal over the period 1977 to 1984 and began to exhibit professionally.
His first major exhibition was held at the Walsh Marais Gallery, Durban, in 1985. Since then, he has held 49 solo exhibitions, his 50th in 2020, and participated in numerous group exhibitions both nationally and internationally including New York, London, Beijing (2010 Beijing Biennale) and Melbourne. In 2010 Anthony completed a commissioned work by Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) (in collaboration with Konrad Geel) "Voting Line" - a 36.6-meter life size laser cut sculpture which is positioned at the base of the Great Flag at the Donkin Reserve, Port Elizabeth.
His work is found in private, corporate and public collections in South Africa, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, U.S.A, India, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and Holland.
Anthony relocated to Riebeek-Kasteel, Western Cape from Port Elizabeth in April, 2018.
"In the series of work titled "Deep Time", "Mapping" and "Mapping Boundaries", Harris conceptually explores land issues: the concept of geologic time, social geography, political, culture and cultural identity. "Maps codify man's existence..."
"The desire to mark and socialise "space"; thereby making them "places" is a universal human urge. Southern Africa is a multiplex mosaic of cultural marks. The earliest evidence of land-scaping is the 2 million years of tradition of stone tools wrought from fine-grained rocks. Then is the 100,000 years of symbolically using and marking earth-ochres. We have still more marks - San rock-art; Black farmers' stone walled towns, Khoe herders' trek routes and White settlers telephone poles. All these marks make imprints like contour lines on the land and betoken layers of relationships between inner mind-scapes and outer land-scapes." Modern science has established, after a long and complex history of developments, the age of the Earth at around 4.54 billion years". This time frame in geological term is known as "DEEP TIME" - Anthony's new series of works reflect this concept of "DEEP TIME".
The new series of work based on Nebulae and "Space" was started during the National Covid-19 Lockdown. This new series explores Space and its dynamics related to man... the Solo Exhibition at the annual Solo Studios an Riebeek Valley, title is: "The Journey Continues..." aims to reflect man as an explorer, a nomad, and the vastness of the Universe. The Journey continues..."
Selected Exhibitions:
2020: Solo Studios 2020. Solo Exhibition: "The Journey Continues..."
2019: Solo Studios 2019
2018: "Pandora" Group Exhibition Breytenbach Gallery
2018: "Radius50" Group exhibition Solo Studio's Riebeek-Kasteel
2018: WOORDFEES 2018: Kennis Exhibition. Stellenbosch University
2018: Spier Art Trust: Creative Block: GFI Gallery
2018: "Stop the Flow" Group Exhibition: ART Gallery Riebeek-Kasteel
2018: ART it IS: "Emergence Exhibition" JHB
2018: Artists from Nelson Mandela Bay: RK Contemporary. W. Cape: Curator and exhibitor
2017: Group Exhibition: ArtEC 98th Annual
2017: OPEN STUDIO's: RK Contemporary, Riebeek-Kasteel
2017: Group Exhibition: GFI Gallery. "Modern Miniatures"
2017: Group Exhibition: National Arts Festival: "Modern Miniatures"
2017: Group Exhibition: Gallery Grande Provance
2017: Group Exhibition: Woordfees Stellenbosch
2017: Group Exhibition: "Just Painting", Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
2016: Solo Exhibition National Arts Festival
2016: Solo Exhibition Prince Albert Art Festival "PArt 2016" - Prince Albert Art Gallery
2016: Solo Exhibition Sumaridge Wine Estate Hermanus
2016: Group Exhibition Agapanthus Gallery/Knysna Fine Art, Knysna and Cape Town
2016: Group Exhibition GFI Gallery Port Elizabeth
2016: Group Exhibition AitY Gallery Franschhoek
2016: Group Exhibition Originals Gallery Hermanus
2016: Group Exhibition "+18" Art on Target Gallery Port Elizabeth
2015: Biannual: 2015. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
2015: Group Exhibition "Wish You Were Here" Athenaeum, Port Elizabeth
2015: Group Exhibition "Wish You Were Here" William Humphrey's Art Gallery, Kimberly
2015: Group Exhibition "Wish You Were Here" National Arts Festival, Grahamstown
2015: "Dialogue" Two-man exhibition ? William Humphrey's Art Gallery, Kimberly
2015: "Earth Dialogue" Solo Exhibition National Arts Festival, Grahamstown
2015: "Here be Dragons" Group Exhibition, Underculture Contemporary, Port Elizabeth
2015: "Here be Dragons" Group Exhibition, Gallery on Leviseur, Bloemfontein
2015: "Addo Visited" Group exhibition, National Arts Festival with GFI Gallery
2014: Solo Exhibition "Deep Time" National Arts Festival
2014: Curator and exhibitor: "4:40" Exhibition National Arts Festival
2014: Curator and exhibitor: "FOOD FOR THOUGHT" Exhibition at ART Gallery
2014: Group Exhibition, XPRESSIONS 2014 (Curator) Exhibition National Arts Festival
2013: Solo Exhibition National Arts Festival
2013: Curator "Modern Miniatures" Exhibition National Arts Festival
2013: Numerous group exhibitions at ART Gallery (Curator)
2012: Solo Exhibition National Arts Festival
2012: Group Exhibition, XPRESSIONS 2012 (Co-Curator) Exhibition National Arts Festival
2012: Group "Collective 2012"
2011: Solo Exhibition National Arts Festival
2011: Finalist - Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum 2011 Biennale
2010: Commission "Voting Line" - 36,6m Life-size public sculpture erected at the Donkin Reserve - Nelson Mandela Bay
2010: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum - Biennale 2010 - Finalist
2010: Group Exhibition NMMU - "Re-sponse" - Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum - by invitation
2010: Group Exhibition - XPRESSIONS 2010 - Co-curator and participating Artist
2010: Group Exhibition - De Kraal - Paarl
2010: Solo Exhibition, National Arts Festival
2010: Group Exhibition, "Colour Colloquium", Rhodes University - by invitation
2010: Invited to participated in the Beijing Biennale - China
2009: "Beyond the Surface" Solo Exhibition, Ron Belling Gallery, Port Elizabeth
2009: London Art Fair, London UK
2009: Solo Exhibition De Kraal Gallery Paarl
2008: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum - Biennale 2008
2008: Solo Exhibition Knysna Fine Art
2008: Solo Exhibition David Brown Fine Art Johannesburg
2008: Two Man Exhibition Association of Art Pretoria
2008: Solo Exhibition National Arts Festival Grahamstown
2008: Solo Exhibition Cuyler Street Gallery Port Elizabeth
2008: Group Exhibition Aspire Gallery Pretoria
2008: Six Person Exhibition Eco Gallery New York USA
2008: Group Exhibition POS+TIVE Sun City
2008: Group Exhibition EPSAC 90th Anniversary Port Elizabeth
2008: Group Exhibition David Brown Fine Art (POS+TIVE) Johannesburg
2007: "Roots/Routes" - Solo exhibition National Arts Festival Grahamstown
2007: "Roots/Routes" - Solo exhibition KKNK Arts festival Oudshoorn
2007: Port Elizabeth Artists - Group Exhibition Gallery - Grande Provence Estate Franschoek
2006: "Earth" - Solo exhibition KKNK Arts Festival Oudshoorn
2006: Group Exhibition Tamasa Gallery Durban
2006: "Earth" - Three-man Exhibition National Arts Festival Grahamstown
2006: Group Exhibition Gallery - Grande Provence Franschoek
2006: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum - Biennale 2006
2006: Two-man Exhibition Artworks Gallery Somerset West
2006: Group Exhibition Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum Port Elizabeth
2006: "Seven Ways" - Group Exhibition Textures Gallery Port Elizabeth
2005: Opened Textures Gallery 14 Park Lane Central, Port Elizabeth with the aim of promoting SA Art and Artists to the broader Eastern Cape Art enthusiast
2005: Group Exhibition Textures Gallery Port Elizabeth
2005: Three-man Exhibition KKNK Arts Festival Oudshoorn
2005: Group Exhibition Cuyler St Gallery Port Elizabeth
2005: Three-man Exhibition National Arts Festival Grahamstown
2004: Solo Exhibition KKNK Arts Festival Oudshoorn
2004: Four Person Exhibition National Arts Festival Grahamstown
2004: Eastern Cape Artists Exhibition National Arts Festival Grahamstown
2004: Group Exhibition EPSAC Gallery Port Elizabeth
2004: Moved to Port Elizabeth from Gordon's Bay, Cape Town
2004: 85th Annual Exhibition EPSAC Gallery Port Elizabeth
Catalogues and Publications:
"Art and Artists of the Eastern Cape" 2010
"Celebrating 100 Years" 2015: Mandela Bay Business Camber
"Infocom" 2015: Mandela Bay Business Chamber
"Not Too Young" 2014 Department of Basic Education. Published by Shikaya
"Pluralism and Development" 2011. University of Cape Town. Law Department
"Response" 2010 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
"Skin"2011: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
"Wish You Were Here" 2015
"XPRESSIONS 2010" GFI Gallery
Biannual 2006: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
Biannual 2008: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
Biannual 2011: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
Biannual 2015: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
SA Art Times June 2012
SA Art Times June 2013
Contact:
Anthony Harris
Cell: 072 379 5933
Email:
Website: www.anthonyharris.co.za
Facebook - Personal: www.facebook.com/anthony.harris.9469
Facebook - Studio / Gallery: www.facebook.com/A1Art.Gallery
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-harris-483a1240
Studio / Gallery: 62 Main Street, Riebeek-Kasteel, Western Cape, South Africa
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