MELINDA HARPER

Melinda Harper, Untitled, 2011, oil on canvas, 153 x 182 cm

Melinda Harper, Untitled, 2003, oil on canvas, 152.5 x 183 cm

Melinda Harper, Untitled, 2015, oil on canvas, 84 x 84 cm

250 WORD REFLECTION | MELINDA HARPER

In the studio over the past couple of classes we have been exploring the tonal relationships of colour through the creation of a colour wheel and chromatic grey scales. An artist who I believe has absolutely mastered the concept of colour is Australian painter, Melinda Harper. Known predominantly for her vibrant oil paintings, Harper uses colour and light to create works that reflects the dynamics her life (Karabenick, 2014, pg 2). Online scholarly resource, ‘Geoform’, corroborates this, stating that Harper’s work is “informed by [her] visual experiences, contemporary art and culture” (2015, para 1). Although her pieces are quite eclectic, the repetition of shape and colour always means there is a strong rhythm and harmony in her artwork, making them visually appealing for the viewer.

Similar to the way the colour wheel demonstrates the interrelationships between primary, secondary and tertiary colours, Harper explores colour and contrast these relationships to create her work. However, while the wheel demonstrates the colour linkage through an almost formulaic process, Harper looks at these relationships through a more personal and philosophical lense. In an interview with contemporary art journal ‘Artist Profile’ about an upcoming exhibition, Harper explains, “my painting is about colour and form, and their relationship. I am interested in what one colour does to another colour, the weight of a colour and the feeling of a colour” (cited from Pesa, 2015, para 6). Thus it is seen that Harper uses her experience, knowledge of colour and inspiration to create her works rather than relying on the guidelines of the colour wheel.

Cramer, S 2015, Colour Sensation: The Works of Melinda Harper, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne, Victoria

Karabenick, J 2014, Melinda Harper, Geoform, <http://geoform.net/artists/melinda-harper/>, viewed 11/03/17

Pesa, M 2015, Melinda Harper, Artist Profile, <http://www.artistprofile.com.au/melinda-harper/>, viewed 4/03/17