Art: Charley Harper Exhibition Opening Reception

By Maria Seda-Reeder
CityBeat

Few Cincinnati artists are as beloved as Charley Harper, and Cincinnatians continue to celebrate his legacy in everything from coffee mugs to public murals. So the opportunity to view some of his original signed lithographs at Hyde Park’s Mary Ran Gallery Friday will be a chance to appreciate the work of an original American Modernist up close and personal.

A conservationist as well as an artist, Harper and his wife Edie (who, like her spouse, was also an Art Academy-educated fine artist) traveled widely post-graduation to research the mainly natural subjects that Harper so often depicted. With an eye for minimal realism, Harper’s ability to reduce complex imagery into simple stylized wildlife prints is what continues to make his work resonate with viewers of any locale.

Opening reception: 5-8 p.m. Friday, March 15. Mary Ran Gallery, 3668 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, 513-871-5604, maryrangallery.com .