Legendary artist John Harris is best known for his almost ethereal paintings of science fiction landscapes – and soon there will be a new collection of his work for fans to delve into. Titan Books has announced The Art of John Harris II: Into the Blue, a hardcover book featuring decades of work by the 73-year-old painter. The new collection will focus on his more futuristic paintings and give readers a behind-the-scenes look at how certain projects went from sketch to finished work.
Some of Harris’s most iconic works include book covers for the likes of Isaac Asimov to Jack Vance. And despite having a very distinct and surreal style – he says ideas come to him through meditation and lucid dreaming – Harris previously said: The edge that he does not consciously paint in a certain way.
“It always surprises me when this question of style comes up, because I don’t consciously have a style,” he explains. “This is not insincere. I’m just trying to paint what’s in my mind’s eye. If people recognize my style, what they see may just be a feeling or vision that is personal to me. Maybe that’s why it seems to resist fashion – because it isn’t fashion.” (Harris previously released a collection with Titan called Titan Beyond the horizon in 2014.)
In the blue will be available on October 11, 2022. You can view a selection of his work at Beyond the horizon in the gallery above and get a glimpse of the cover of the new collection below.
Image: Titan Books