Jim
Harter: Biography
|
Born
on Oct. 2, 1941, in Lubbock, Texas, Jim Harter was largely self-taught
as an artist. From 1969-72 he played a small part in creating posters for Austin's legendary rock venues, the Vulcan Gas Company and Armadillo World Headquarters. Influenced by San Francisco collage artist Wilfried Satty, Harter turned to making surrealist collages from 19th century engravings. In 1976 he moved to New York, becoming a freelance illustrator, and editor of clip-art books for Dover, and later for other publications. Since then two books of his collages, Journeys in the Mythic Seaand Initiations in the Abysshave been published, as well as two railroad history books illustrated entirely with Victorian engravings. In 1984, he began painting using an old-master technique. This work was influenced by his earlier collages, but also owed something to Symbolism, Surrealism, Fantastic Realism, and an exposure to Eastern Philosophy. During the early 1980s Harter became friends with Jean Letschert, a Belgian visionary painter and former student of Rene Magritte. He also met members of Holland's Metarealist group, and fantastic realist painters in New York. In 1986 Harter moved to San Antonio, Texas where he remains today. In the last two years he has returned to his collage work, digitally colorizing a number of his creations. |
