Charley Harper was a renowned artist with a strong message in support of ecology and conservation. Despite the fact that he resided in Ohio, his message has spread far and wide, extending across the world. From Central America (e.g. Costa Rica) to Africa he chronicled the flora and fauna of the natural world in support of their beauty and fragility in the face of development. In the US, perhaps no other single region has benefitted from his work as much as has Florida. Whether it is his choice of subjects in his artwork, or the conservation causes he supported in the State, his impact is felt to this day and will be for years to come.
Charley’s Florida Artwork
Florida is a peninsula with temperate and subtropical zones. As such, it is home to a wide variety of habitats hosting a broad diversity of plants, animals, birds and insects – many endemic or nearly endemic to the state. Water – both fresh and saline – are inextricably linked to Florida. Lakes and ponds, ocean beaches, estuaries, rivers, bays and lagoons, abound in Florida, and are host to myriad forms of wildlife. Charley captured many of these in his books and independently published artwork. Pelicans (e.g. Pier Group, Pelican in a Downpour, and Diving Pelican), skimmers (e.g. Skimmerscape) and manatees (e.g., Manatee in the Mangroves) accompany beach scenes (e.g. Crabitat). And alligators – oh the alligators (e.g. Tailgator). In his own whimsical style Charley shared these unique creatures with the world.
Charley created many more images from the region and these can be seen on our website https://charleyharperprints.com/, or in his famous books “The Animal Kingdom”, the “Golden Book of Biology”, “An Illustrated Life”, and “Beguiled by the Wild.”
Conservation Causes in Florida
Florida conservation and ecological organizations and efforts also benefitted greatly from Charley’s support and commissions. Two of these are The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and The Wilderness Society (Florida Keys Project).
This poster was created in 1993 for The Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
“The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a leading environmental advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the water, land, wildlife, and future of the region’s five-county area. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida Nature Center is a 21-acre nature preserve home to more than 150 species of native and exotic wildlife and is located in the heart of Naples, Florida.” https://www.mustdo.com/fl/naples-bonita-springs-marco-island-everglades/attractions/conservancy-of-southwest-florida-nature-center/
In 1988, The Wilderness Society won a McArthur grant to support a South Florida project, which addressed water quality degradation and land acquisition in the context of the entire Florida Keys ecosystem, and a videotape on area conservation problems. In support of this effort, a poster was commissioned and you see the result, above – Charley’s work produced in 1990.
The Everglades
The National Park System (NPS) also benefitted widely from Charley’s work in promoting the national parks. In some of his most intricate compositions he created a set of 10 national park posters which are still available today (https://charleyharperprints.com/product-category/charley-harper-originals/posters/). In Florida, he also prepared a display in support of The Everglades National Park.
“(Charley) Harper created modernist artwork that features wildlife at the Anhinga Trail and Royal Palm areas. The original form of his art was on small-scale panels, which were enlarged by the park for use in the former Royal Palm Visitor Center. The work imagines wildlife scenes that show different perspectives of the park that might not otherwise be visible.”
The images Charley created to depict the flora and fauna of Florida are enduring reminders of the valuable and fragile nature of our natural surroundings and the creatures in it. Floridians, and visitors to Florida, can all be reminded of these natural wonders and be inspired to support the ongoing efforts to preserve them.