Litany of the Saints: Artwork by Nicholas Harper

Start: Nov. 3, 2016, 7 p.m.

End: Nov. 17, 2016, 7 p.m.

Exhibit Runs: Nov 4th - Dec 16th

Opening reception at Downtown Art Crawl St Cloud: November 4th, From 5-9 PM

Social Arting: December 1st, 6:30-8:30 PM (20 people max)

Artist Reception and social gathering to follow.

"Litany of the Saints" is an examination of the meaning and existence of divinity and the celebration of the spiritual nature found in all people.

Referring to his portraits as Contemporary Icons, normally a status reserved only for the preordained "holy people" of Orthodox and Catholic Christianity, Harper expands upon its meaning to be inclusive of all human beings regardless of their worldly nature.

It is this worldly nature, set against a backdrop for the potential of spiritual enlightenment that led Harper to create human forms with elongated necks, saintly faces and disjointed arms and hands. As the head represents the divine and the hands the worldly, the elongated neck acts as a visual representation of this disconnect, tension and possible struggle between our two natures.

Seen from a slight distance, these various parts and fragmentations act harmoniously and coalesce into a single cohesive composition alluding to a wholeness and symbiotic state of being within the individual.

It is through this allegory that Harper elevates his paintings beyond portraiture and into the realm of symbolism itself.

Borrowing from Russian Iconography, Harper adorns many of his images with simple halos, a symbol of breath and life, in the hopes that the painting becomes a sacred object capable of leading the viewer into contemplation and meditation just as the religious icons of the past were intended.

Also heavily influenced by Magical Realist authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Harper leans heavily on his distortion of human features to draw the viewer into that which is often times taken for granted or seen as the mundane, that is the human figure itself.

By distorting elements of the body, Harper entices the viewer to look at the subject in a new light and with fresh eyes. It is in these distortions that Harper can embed various allegories, metaphors and symbols, yet furthering his intent to elevate his paintings beyond portraiture.