Rare small oils by William Harsh

November 1 - January 8, 2023-2024

While large canvases were William Harsh's preferred scale, we excitedly present this heretofore unseen (except for two) collection of rare small-scale oil paintings. These late works were painted with deft skill and urgency in the last five years of his life (2006 - 2011).

Cliff Outcropping (2007), 18 x 20 x 0.75 in. | 18.38 x 20.5 x 1.38 in. (framed), Oil on linen

Bulwark in Expanse (2007), 18 x 20 in. | 18.5 x 20.5 x 1.38 in. (framed), Oil on canvas

Improv II (2011), 16 x 22 x 0.75 in., Oil on canvas

By the Amethyst Sea (2007), 18 x 22 x 0.75 in. | 18.5 x 22.5 x 1.5 in. (framed), Oil on linen

No Way No How (2008), 20 x 18 in. | 20.5 x 18.5 x 1.31 in. (framed), Oil on canvas

Near Landing (2006), 12 x 12 in., Acrylic on panel

Galapagos (2008), 28 x 32 in. | 28.50 x 32.25 x 1.31 in, Oil on linen

Pink Queen (2011), 26 x 30 x 0.75 in., Oil on linen

In Tent (2010), 18 x 24 x 0.75 in., Oil on canvas

In North Light (2008), 20.5 x 20.5 in., Oil on canvas

Las Meninas (2011), 28 x 34 x 0.75 in., Oil on linen

Green Queen (2011), 26 x 26 x 1.13 in., Oil on linen

Attic blocks (2006), 24.63 x 28.63 in., Oil on canvas

Cosmic View (2011), 22 x 26 x 0.75 in., Oil on canvas

End Run (2006),  12 x 18 x 0.75 in. | 12.50 x 18.31 x 1.50 in. (framed) ,  Oil on canvas 

CURATORS STATEMENT
William Harsh (1953-2012) produced substantial works with bold, determined statements on the weight of things, containing the ability to “drive a nail in it” as a product of his sense of cubism, expressionism, and surrealism meeting modernist sensibility. Carrying the weight of his intent, his subjects - piled groups of furniture or other household items, or mystical creatures on quiet landscapes - presented large enough to render such size a presumed necessity of his search for truth. Yet, in this latest exhibit "Rare Small Oils by William Harsh" we see that Harsh’s dramatic statements are equally well-suited to smaller vignettes, losing none of their compelling structure or challenging stances combining movement and a powerful sense of presence.

Typically William Harsh painted large canvases. We are excited to bring forth this collection of rare small-scale oil paintings, never shown (except for two) by the late painter. These late works were painted with deft skill and urgency in the last five years of his life (2006 - 2011), and telegraph his deep love and devotion towards the life-giving activity of painting.

We find in this collection he chose square-like proportioned canvases in a formal presentation of his paint character, all the while conveying a visual mystery and mix of feelings. Harsh treated each canvas as an opportunity to let forms emerge in their own way, true to his innately modernist approach to painting. While this is evident in his larger canvases, what we see in this scale are dense, poetic versions of his expressionistic and spontaneously painted forms.

We include three paintings that were created after Harsh visited SFMOMA's show "The Steins Collect" which included Picasso's cubist works. This visit inspired Bill to once again revisit Picasso's paintings. It is quite possible Picasso's series "Las Meninas, After Velazquez" may have inspired Harsh's very own creations of Meninas. We invite you to discover and have a close look at "Green Queen," "Pink Queen" and "Las Meninas", the last oil paintings by William Harsh. These conjure a quote from Bill: "We have to laugh at ourselves, and be forgiving, if we are to remain human. Humor resides in the visual animation of form, in a line's quirkiness, in the surprising oddities that take shape. I don't intend to make grim paintings. There needs to be release, hopefulness, redemption."

BIO
William Harsh was an artist who maintained a committed studio practice for nearly 40 years. Primarily an oil painter, he also worked extensively with other painting and drawing media and with monotype printmaking. Working improvisationally, he aimed to create a sense of unexpectedness in his compositions, an effect he compared to “the way driftwood piled high on a beach or junk in a studio corner suggests a drama.”

Raised in Europe and the United States, Harsh studied with Philip Guston and James Weeks at Boston University, and for many years taught studio art at colleges in New England and California. His work is included in numerous collections in the United States, Canada, and Europe, including that of the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum.


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