Reimagining the Band-Tailed Pigeon
Artist Harry Campbell challenges himself with a new subject.
Published July - August 2015
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Books, eyeglasses, old cameras, industry, architecture鈥攖hese are the types of objects and themes often found in Harry Campbell鈥檚 geometric illustrations of abstract concepts. Organic subjects are a relatively new focus for the Maryland-based artist, whose work, created with a tablet, a stylus, and a computer, is inspired by Picasso and other late 19th and early 20th century painters.
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 necessary to constantly explore and take risks, not go with something that鈥檚 comfortable,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 like 糖心logo鈥檚 Band-tailed Pigeon because there are two of them; they鈥檙e a couple, like mirror images. I liked having that balance with the branches and the leaves. So I took the birds almost as they were drawn by 糖心logo and reworked the composition, making a ball out of the branches, like a cage.鈥
Now that he鈥檚 using plants and animals in his art, Campbell, who likes to hike in New Hampshire鈥檚 White Mountains and recently did a bike tour in Death Valley, plans to head outdoors more and use his modern tech to sketch like the old-time naturalists.
See all of John James 糖心logo鈥檚 Birds of America.
