Artwork copyright John Harter. Photo courtesy of the artist.

A Vanishing Point, 1991

John Harter
American (born 1940, died 2008)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

A Vanishing Point is a painting created by artist John Harter. It is comprised of a large central image bordered by six smaller scenes open to the interpretation of the viewer. It is part of the artist's body of artworks featuring lightbulbs. He notes, "Light source is a major concern in my work. My recent paintings have the figures (people) with light bulbs for heads. They create their own light and their individual shadows."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.

About the Artist

John Harter (1940-2008) created figurative and surrealistic paintings.
Born in Seattle, Harter served in the U.S. Navy in the late 1950s and travelled to Eastern Asia with the Navy. He studied at Seattle Central Community College and Cornish School in Seattle. He left Seattle briefly while studying at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1968, but later returned and continued his studies at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1975.