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Arts in Milwaukee

A Public Service Of Milwaukee Artist Resource Network

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David Harrison

  • Art
I am an Art Professional

artist bio

My dabbling in art began several years before I retired as a high school English teacher. Having been involved in stage and light design, my art took on the feel of light and shadowed images. Over my years of backpacking and mountaineering, I amassed a huge collection of Kodachrome slides that were begging for use.
These images mainly come from my mountaineering experiences in the U.S., Alaska, Canada, Peru, Bolivia, Russian Siberia, and Tajikistan as well as from my garden tours throughout the United States
My current images, often unified by a creative idea, emerge now as my current mountain expressions series. My work reflects the pulsing colors, shadows, light movement that I acquired in my stage lighting experiences and mountain photography. My images dance, continually unfold, reveal hidden nuances, and make metaphysical statements about my world. I want my colors unusual juxta-positioning not only to bathe but also to seduce the viewer - to force a reintroduction to the way the world can be understood. Using Photoshop CS5, I manipulate my camera files to achieve movement, texture, color, shadow play, and the illusion of three-dimensional depth the end result of which, I term "derivative" work. My manipulation involves extensive use of layering, filtering, isolating elements of layers, imbuing layers with depth, embossing, texturing, patterns, etc. Each layer is set to balance with previous layers until the image acquires an expression that I can live with. Many images fuse unexpected illusions and contain many layered textures and photos. This is essentially how this current series arises. When I feel that one or more of the themed images have the desired effect, it is off to finalize the production.
Each image is first printed using the impeccable Durst Lambda rgb laser printer for the metallic print. It is then laminated onto Sintra, then on top is laminated UV filitering acrylic. Edges are finished, then set into a floating frame. The effect is stunning.

artist statement

After a high school teaching and world-wide mountaineering career, I discovered the art of digital imaging at a small gallery in Skagway, Alaska. Soon afterwards, I discovered Adobe Photoshop and slide scanners and digital cameras.
My work begins with a natural setting and evolves into complex abstract derivatives of selected images and then into multiple layered images. It calls upon my photographic and theatrical lighting backgrounds for composition and effect.
My work reflects pulsing colors, lines of light, shadows, movement of light – all acquired in my stage lighting, set design and mountain photography. I want my images to dance, with a continuous unfolding to revel in the hidden nuances of the power found in these settings. I want the unusual juxta-positions of colors to not only bathe but also seduce the viewer. But most of all the I see the results as my re-discovery of drama and emotion.
Each image is produced in concert with a professional lab in Milwaukee that employs a state of the art Durst Lambda printer using a RGB laser to etch brilliant colors on a metallic substrate. The print is bonded between a 3mm layer of PVC and a 95% UV filtering 3mm layer of acrylic. Every image is uniquely printed as a Limited Edition Print.
My website is: www.davidharrisonexpressions.com

proficiencies