Jon Harris (artist)
Encyclopedia
Jon Harris is an artist
, illustrator
, and calligrapher, who has a particular interest in architecture
and topography
. He lives in Cambridge, which he has made his base since he graduated from Cambridge University, with a degree in Art History, in 1965. Cambridge is also the principal subject of his drawings.
Jon Harris was born 1943, in North Staffordshire; he had an itinerant, partly colonial youth. He was educated at Winchester College
, where he was a scholar. He began in Architecture at Trinity Hall, Cambridge University
in 1961, and finished in Art History.
With his encyclopaedic knowledge of the architectural history of Cambridge, Jon Harris is much in demand as a historical advisor on developments and re-furbishments. He is a member of Cambridge City Council's Design & Conservation Panel, before which significant new developments are brought for appraisal. In 2007 he advised Magdelene College on the colour scheme for the restoration of a range of medieval buildings in Magdelene Street, Cambridge.
), and painted (topography and light) until this career came to end with a joint exhibition between the Fitzwilliam Museum
and the Cambridge University School of Architecture. A catalogue was published by the Fitzwilliam Museum.
He wrote for eight years on the landscapes and settlements of the four East Anglia counties and explored them on foot. In 2003 he was lured by his friend and former Reuters correspondent, Brian Mooney, into walking the shores and inland boundaries of the county of Essex. The report of the journey, with text by Brian Mooney and numerous illustrations by Jon Harris, was published as Frontier Country (Thorogood 2004).
Jon Harris has also done various maps for local National Trust estates. He has mapped the Cambridge Preservation Society’s new reserve at Coton and (for Country Life) drawn a ‘Cambridge in a Day’ map to illustrate Jeremy Musson’s article on what to see in five or six hours.
Jon Harris is particularly known for his illustrated, calligraphic
, maps. These remarkable works of draughtsmanship combine maps, vignette drawings, and calligraphic text. He has made hundreds of such drawings over the years. Much of this work has been undertaken for humble and ephemeral purposes, such as giving road directions to a particular wedding, or explaining a change of address.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, and calligrapher, who has a particular interest in architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
. He lives in Cambridge, which he has made his base since he graduated from Cambridge University, with a degree in Art History, in 1965. Cambridge is also the principal subject of his drawings.
Jon Harris was born 1943, in North Staffordshire; he had an itinerant, partly colonial youth. He was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, where he was a scholar. He began in Architecture at Trinity Hall, Cambridge University
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
in 1961, and finished in Art History.
With his encyclopaedic knowledge of the architectural history of Cambridge, Jon Harris is much in demand as a historical advisor on developments and re-furbishments. He is a member of Cambridge City Council's Design & Conservation Panel, before which significant new developments are brought for appraisal. In 2007 he advised Magdelene College on the colour scheme for the restoration of a range of medieval buildings in Magdelene Street, Cambridge.
Publications
Jon Harris published an article in Granta in 1962 on Cambridge’s 19th century architect/developer Richard Reynolds Rowe. He taught drawing for 25 years in the Cambridge Arts School (CCAT, now Anglia Ruskin UniversityAnglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University is one of the largest universities in Eastern England, United Kingdom, with a total student population of around 30,000.-History:...
), and painted (topography and light) until this career came to end with a joint exhibition between the Fitzwilliam Museum
Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge, England. It receives around 300,000 visitors annually. Admission is free....
and the Cambridge University School of Architecture. A catalogue was published by the Fitzwilliam Museum.
He wrote for eight years on the landscapes and settlements of the four East Anglia counties and explored them on foot. In 2003 he was lured by his friend and former Reuters correspondent, Brian Mooney, into walking the shores and inland boundaries of the county of Essex. The report of the journey, with text by Brian Mooney and numerous illustrations by Jon Harris, was published as Frontier Country (Thorogood 2004).
Jon Harris has also done various maps for local National Trust estates. He has mapped the Cambridge Preservation Society’s new reserve at Coton and (for Country Life) drawn a ‘Cambridge in a Day’ map to illustrate Jeremy Musson’s article on what to see in five or six hours.
Jon Harris is particularly known for his illustrated, calligraphic
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
, maps. These remarkable works of draughtsmanship combine maps, vignette drawings, and calligraphic text. He has made hundreds of such drawings over the years. Much of this work has been undertaken for humble and ephemeral purposes, such as giving road directions to a particular wedding, or explaining a change of address.