Guy Harvey’s innovative art on metal
Guy Harvey shows the results of a work on metal titled “Mother’s Touch.”
Guy Harvey’s signature style is his vibrant paintings of aquatic wildlife taken from his experiences as a marine biologist. The mix of science and art isn’t common among famous painters, which is why Harvey’s art is so innovative.
It’s no wonder, then, that Harvey has gravitated toward Park West Gallery’s new and innovative art medium. The gallery has begun the production of digital multiples on metal; instead of a canvas, paper or wood, these images are made on a thin sheet of aluminum through a process called dye sublimation. The images are printed out on special paper using dye-based inks, then are essentially “baked” onto the sheet of metal. The colors are printed as vaporized dye returns to its solid form, hence the term “sublimation.”
The medium is innovative for a multitude of reasons: the colors appear much more vibrant, they take longer to fade, they are inexpensive and they are scratch-proof.
“It’s almost like looking at a computer screen, the image pops out at you,” Harvey says. “The colors are bright, they’re kind of shiny, and they look alive and electric; and of course, the framing that Park West does is unbelievably good, so the overall package is really a fantastic offering.”
The caveat of dye sublimation, though, is that not all art is conducive to the medium. Art that doesn’t portray bright colors or clean-cut scenes tend to look similar to their canvas counterparts, which almost defeats the purpose of the digital multiples on metal. In addition to Harvey – whose bright blue colors and crisp images of marine wildlife are eye-popping on metal – several other Park West artists work very well with the medium, such as Donna Sharam, Tim Yanke and Michael Cheval.
Guy Harvey works with Chris Morgan at Park West Gallery on one of his latest works of art created by dye sublimation.
It’s apparent by now that Harvey is very involved in advancing science and the world of art. What most tend to look over, though, is that Harvey is also dedicated to advancing the culture of art education. Harvey understands that art is important to childhood development, as it helped him become the artist he is today.
“The early influence of the parents was huge,” Harvey said in an interview with T Brand Studio of the New York Times. “I’ve lovingly developed my techniques and broadened the media I use to suit the work I do now, but I’ve also turned it into a profitable business. So my hobby became my profession.”
Harvey channels his desire to educate youth on art and science into his Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, a program that supports efforts to educate people about ocean wildlife preservation through projects in coalition with other organizations. He realized that part of the reason he became an artist was actually due to his science endeavors; he wants to parlay that realization into helping kids unlock their creative side.
Check out Park West Gallery’s collection of Guy Harvey artwork.
