Harrison Fox

Harrison Fox experiments with mixed media, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, fine art prints, photography, book binding, sculpture, and design – including fabrics and furniture.  His work explores museums; flora and fauna; city and natural landscape; women photographers; portrait; creates abstract art using photographs as beginning point; as well as people encountering their world.
 

 

His artist interests have been stirred by his mother’s “world class” orchid arranging, corsage, and garden club art, beginning over 60 years ago.  At the turn of the century he purchased a digital camera.  Soon he was enrolled in a photography class at Corcoran School of Art, Washington, D.C.  He continues his classes, visits art museum and shows, and works with other artist seeking to increase his understanding and improve his work.

 

Harrison seeks to stretch the limits of artistic expression.  He has created new art techniques, including Universal All-purpose Art (UAA), Shroud-o-types, as well as elaborating on painted photograph methods and printing and painting on fabric.

 

Universal All-purpose Art (UAA) UAA is creating art out of things we use every day. It is sculpture.  UAA is utilitarian.  That is it cries out for you to “touch me” and “use me”.  UAA materials are virtually everywhere.  “Every time I walk through Loews, Home Depot, Target, junk yards, Walmart, other establishments and for that matter when driving past homes on garbage day--, I see art.”

 

Shroud-o-types This technique involves printing and/or painting on “thin” paper backed fabric.  The fabric is separated from the paper creating two imagines (diptych).  These images may be enhanced by additional painting, colleague, and/or printing.

 

Photography Much of his works grows out of digital photography.  Of particular note are his botanicals, many of which are printed on fabric-mainly silk. Painted photographs are now an important part of his current work. An award winning work presents 5 views of a single Florida landscape.  His abstract museum series is currently a focus of his work.   In addition, a series of painted and drawn works have been created based on woman photographers’ work.

 

An award winning work is a colleague of over 100 “skybox view” photographs of New York City’s E. 94th Street and 2nd Avenue intersection.  His most recent awarded work - Best in Show by Pasco County Arts Council, in spring of 2020, is from his museum series.

 

His exhibitions include–

• “water, Water, WATER!” at the WSSC Gallery, Laurel, Maryland, September 5 - 29, 2006. 

• A close up photography view of red tide’s effects on fish and birds is found on Manatee/Sarasota Sierra Club web site

• “Celebration of Color within Light,” Selby House Gallery, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, Florida, December 8, 2006 - January 27, 2007

• “Botanicals: Evocative Impressions,” WSSC Gallery, Laurel, Maryland, September 4 -27, 2007

• Fine Art Prints, World Orchid Conference, Miami, Florida, January 2008

• Fine Art Prints, Fabrics, and Mixed Media, “Still Life Portraits,” WSSC Gallery, Laurel, Maryland, May 2009

• Fine Art Prints, Fabrics, Photographs, and Mixed Media, Englewood Art Center, May 2010

 

Prizes and Awards –

• Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Annual Juried Photography Contest and Exhibition, Awards in 2014, 2010, 2008, 2006, First Award and People’s Choice Award: 2005 and 2003.

• 2006 Earth Day Photography Contest, Oscar Scherer State Park, Sarasota County, Florida, Three First Awards and Best of Show.

• Finalist, 25th Annual Spring Photography Contest, Photographer’s Forum Magazine.Photograph published in Best of Photography Annual 2005.

• Venice Orchid Society, 2010, 2011, and 2013 multiple awards for both Photography and Design including “Best Arts and Crafts” 2013.

• Multiple awards for photographs as well as acrylic, sculpture, colleague, and mixed media at Venice Art Center, Englewood Art Center, Marie Selby Gardens Photography Exhibits, Art Center Sarasota juried exhibitions—2004 through 2015, and Pasco County Arts Council, Best in Show, 2020.

 

Artist’s Statement

“Each of my fine art compositions be it on photography papers, canvas, art papers, fabric–silk, cotton, film, or sculpture employ efforts to build imagery strength.  I play with color within light and sometimes the absence of color (black and white) to explore shape and form.  Viewers, of my art, are encouraged to let their emotions respond to the exhibited images.”

 

Memberships:  Pasco County Arts Council, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, and environmental organizations.

 

Art Education:  courses at Corcoran School of Art, Ringling School of Art and Design, Englewood Art Center, Venice Art Center, and my fellow artists.