Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Harmon.
Hi Chris, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Absolutely! And, thank you for having me.
I’ve always had a passion for imagination and creating. I was the child that loved coloring books, video games and construction toys. You wouldn’t catch me dead on a football field or baseball diamond. Coming from a small town in rural West Virginia, I can assure you that didn’t put me on any of the most popular lists in high school. But, growing up alongside the rise of the internet allowed me to discover small art communities online that opened me up to a wide world of possibilities and people that made my dreams seem achievable.
I attended West Virginia University to earn my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Tapping into my love of construction, I was immediately drawn to sculptural work as my focus. I was fascinated with combining materials of opposing properties and exploring how they interact, often making what felt impossible become possible. The culmination of this was a five-and-a-half foot tall welded steel skeletal armature that held up a massive piece of found-object machinery between the legs–all supported by nothing more than two cables that stretched two panels of canvas across the hunched over back of the figure. I fondly remember having to reassure gallery directors when installing my art, “Yes, it will hold up. Trust me.”
After graduating, my logical brain took over and I decided to pursue a career that felt like a “safe” way to use my creativity to pay the bills–graphic design and marketing. I spent fifteen years designing brochures, logos, websites, you name it. It was fulfilling in certain regards and I was fairly good at it, but I found myself consistently wanting more. I felt as though I was always making something to fulfill someone else’s vision, and rarely had the freedom to speak with my own creative voice.
After starting to experience significant burnout and a lack of motivation, I decided something needed to change. I needed to step away from the computer screen and get back to the real world. I had also been discovering amazing work by contemporary artists such Soey Milk and Rosso that truly lit a spark. It made me realize that I didn’t need to have the space or capacity to return to my roots in sculpture. Instead, I could set up an easel in my garage and begin to paint. In January of 2024, I completed my first painting in over 15 years and the realization was almost instantaneous. This is where I was meant to be.
I have always been in love with the human form. It can be seen all the way back in my earlier collegiate work, though mostly through the lens of a skeletal structure. I have also always been drawn to precision and geometry. Probably from staring at pixels on my television screen and constructing LEGO castles. Today, I continue to mash these two together in my artwork, though in completely different mediums.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been easy. When I decided to get back into the art world, I didn’t really know anyone in the Charleston area. But I knew that artists can’t thrive without community. I made it a priority to go out and find my people. Every week for about 6 months or so, I would be out at 2-3 different events in the area meeting other artists and making connections. Exploring all that the Charleston creative community is and finding inspiration among peers.
Also, being a figurative artist with no figure models is a different challenge! Early on, I knew I didn’t want to rely on online references. They were ok for practice, but to truly have control over every aspect of my work, I needed to capture my own figures. When you are an artist that doesn’t know many people and have very little to show (at the start), it can be difficult to find those willing to trust you. Completely understandable! Luckily, I was able to make an amazing connection with a brilliant young woman who saw the vision and we were off to the races.
Ultimately, I tried to make a solid go of keeping my full-time job while also making art after hours and supporting other local artists through community engagement. It lasted a little over a year before the two worlds simply were no longer compatible. To step away from a career path and decide to pursue your dreams always comes with a lot of anxiety.
Who knows if it will pay off? But I don’t think I would have it any other way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As we’ve established, I am fascinated by the human form. To me, it is a perfect embodiment (no pun intended) of order and chaos. The ultimate dichotomy of simple beauty and unfathomable complexity all in one. And, sorry fellas, but when it comes to objective beauty, you don’t hold a candle to the feminine figure.
Just as I always have, I seek to combine different, somewhat opposing, elements together to create something new and exciting. I would consider myself a painter, but I would guess other more traditionalists would call me a mixed-media artist. I draw excitement from the exploration of materials and surfaces beyond the traditional canvas.
One of my early paintings, “Dreams for Tomorrow,” features a wood panel with a layer of cement veneer sealed with garage floor primer as a ground for the oil painting. It creates this unexpected contrast between the beauty of the traditionally painted form against the rough, rocky nature of the cement. Another more recent work incorporates torn pages from a romance novel lit ablaze by gunpowder with lace and twine details. For me, there is nothing off-limits. I often say that I don’t just work on a painting, but also in, around and through the painting. It is a small way I bring in my love of sculptural elements into a traditionally two-dimensional medium.
I am currently working on a wide range of new work for my debut exhibition at Park Circle Gallery this September, 2025. You’ll find that almost all of the work on display will be on different surfaces and exploring different materials from one another. It is hard to pin me down, but that is what I think is most exciting about what I bring to the table.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I don’t know if I am in a position to make big proclamations of where the fine art industry is going to be in 5 years, let alone next year! I’m focusing on what brings joy to me and I hope that is what resonates with collectors of my work.
With that being said, I do find it serendipitous that as soon as AI image generation made its debut to the masses, I found myself eager to step away from the laptop and get back into the studio. Maybe there is a connection there? Maybe not.
What I am seeing is that the rise of AI image and video generation is really shining a light on the people and organizations that never truly valued originality. You can see it in online advertising and commercials from major brands that are now utilizing AI. Not that advertising has ever necessarily been high art, but gone are the days of the famous “1984” Apple Super Bowl commercial. Even if a company doesn’t care about the artistry, at least the artists that were tasked to make it were giving it their all. But it turns out it was never really about making something new and thought-provoking. Artists were just a means to an end–making people spend money. Now that they can have “art” that is “good enough” at a fraction of the cost, they are happy to abandon true innovation, or even any attempt at it. When you start to cost/benefit analyze art, you’ve officially jumped the shark. Take that as the fifteen-year designer and marketer coming out.
The reality is that AI is here to stay and brings a lot of efficiency when used in a smart way, but I think the pendulum is swinging hard toward the shiny new object right now. When anyone can make pretty pixels with a monthly subscription and a few keystrokes, how does an artist stand apart? I think you’ll see a stronger focus on texture and material and the physical object. Also, as true artistry and vision becomes more rare, its value will increase. This will be great for the established artists who produce for wealthy collectors who can afford it. It will probably be tough for lower level artists who are still finding their footing. We will see!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chrisharmonart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neomartyr
