A new exhibit at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center gives a new perspective on Will County’s flora and fauna. The work of Charley Harper, an artist and conservationist, takes a geometric twist on the familiar Illinois ecosystem.
Charley Harper’s art features familiar flora and fauna
Though his portfolio encompasses many species and environments, Hidden Oaks selected pieces that depict images familiar to those in Will County.
“The critters, the plants, and the animals, the birds and the insects, are all from around here,” said Angiue Opiola, the Hidden Oaks facility supervisor. “They’re literally in your backyard. They’re in your front yard. You can see them in the trees. So it’s not just a picture of a toad or a bird. You know, they’re the cardinals, or the sassy blue jay is one of the pictures. Or all of the birds that you would find at your bird feeder are depicted, and sometimes the predator prey relationships of such, and just like the different interactions you see.”
“He grew up on a farm in West Virginia, and there he grew a reverence and a love and a deep fascination with the natural world around him, so much that he became a conservationist. He wanted to create art that kind of focused on that,” Opiola said.
Harper illustrated organic scenes of animals in nature with vibrant colors, lines, and shapes to make abstract images.
“He saw things as shapes and textures and lines and colors, and that’s what you can see in his artwork,” Opiola said.
Interactive elements encourage new perspectives
While visiting the exhibit, guests are invited to spend time interacting with Harper’s work.
“We didn’t want the exhibit to be one-dimensional. You come, you look, you appreciate, you become inspired, and you go home. We like the follow-up, and because we get all sorts of people, we want Charlie Harper to resonate with everybody,” Opiola said.
“We have Charlie Harper’s puzzles that you can just sit and take as long as you want to put together. We also have geometric shapes that you can build with, just like Charlie Harper would have,” Opiola continued.
Visitors can leave Hidden Oaks inspired
The nature center believes Harper’s work will leave an impact on all who visit.
“Bolingbrook is incredibly diverse. Will County is incredibly diverse. There’s all sorts of people that live here, and I believe that these prints resonate with everyone. They’re appealing to everyone,” Opiola said.
“We try to take places like the nature center, where we see it as a fun, whimsical, you know, engaging place to be. And we try to find works that kind of shadow or resemble that. And we feel like Charley Harper has definitely done that,” Opiola continued.
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