THE ARTIST
HARRY MC
"A master of striped abstraction"
An infinite potential for complexity and breadth, making each striped painting a dynamic experiment.
New works - 'LANDSCAPES OF PROVENCE' by Harry MC.
In Landscapes of Provence, Harry MC invites us on a sensory journey to the sunlit landscapes of southern France. These works, at once minimalist and evocative, distill the artist’s experience of Provence into vertical bands of colour—each stripe is a memory, a story, inspired by the region’s luminous light, the vineyards, the olive groves and ancient hilltop villages. The series translates the soul of Provence into a rhythmic interplay of tone, texture, and vibrancy. It transcends traditional representation, capturing not what Provence looks like, but what it feels like. The bold yet harmonious palette speaks of terracotta rooftops warmed by the sun, lavender fields and glasses of the local rosé.
But this is not merely a celebration of the physical landscape, Harry's experience of the Provence lifestyle—the easy conviviality of those who live there, the market-days, the unhurried afternoons, ingrains these paintings with a meditative quality. Each stripe becomes the essence of this timeless region, from the earthy reds of the soil to the unbroken blues of the Mediterranean sky. With Landscapes of Provence, Harry merges abstraction with deep emotional resonance, creating a collection that invites viewers to linger, remember, and perhaps even visit Provence and experience it for themselves.
Harry explored the Luberon region and was particularly inspired by the landscape around the villages of Menerbes, Oppede and Lacoste. The latter is an enchanting creative enclave, an understated, perfectly preserved medieval village and the former home of fashion designer Pierre Cardin.
Landscapes of Provence No1. Oil and pigment on canvas, 39 inches x 39 inches.
"Wide stripes, narrow stripes, even tree size stripes. Usually vertical, sometime horizontal, but always colourful. Artist Harry MC finds endless inspiration within this slender framework, turning something that is very humble into dynamic works of striped art with striking beauty and intellectual depth".
When in Provence Harry was delighted to accept a special invitation to visit CHÂTEAU LA COSTE and take a tour of the vineyard and view it's many monumental sculptures, including this work by Sean Scully from 2007 - Wall of Light Cubed.
Exhibition Review:
The latest exhibition of Harry MC’s large-scale, multi-coloured striped paintings marks a profound exploration of abstraction, space, and time. A testament to the artist’s vision honed over nearly five decades. These pieces expand on his foundational exploration of the stripe as both a formal element and a narrative device. With the invigorated sense of urgency and lyricism in these new works, the stripe becomes more than a visual motif, it’s a metaphor for the complexities of modern existence. At first glance, the canvases are undeniably fields of vibrant stripes, arranged with the precision of a scientific diagram yet pulsing with the dynamism of a street artist's spray can. The paintings hold the viewer’s gaze with an almost magnetic force.
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Harry adopts an improvisational approach where each stripe is laid with a measured spontaneity. In these works the stripe can be seen as an existential metaphor. The individual line, straightforward and unyielding, juxtaposed against the unpredictable nature of life itself. Thick and thin, bright and muted they are not just formal elements but reflections of the emotional undulations of life rendered in colour.
The signature use of vivid, almost electric hues brings an added layer of meaning to the compositions. The colours are not merely decorative, but pulse with psychological weight. The bright yellows and acid greens vibrate with an almost painful intensity, while deep blues and scarlets invoke a sense of both tranquillity and urgency. These paintings demand to be experienced in person, as the sheer size of the canvases forces the viewer into an intimate relationship with the artwork. The scale amplifies the effect of the stripes, each one intensifying the emotional and psychological experience of being in the presence of the work. The viewer is not merely looking at the painting; they are enveloped by it, consumed by its vibrant energy.
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Harry once again demonstrates his unparalleled ability to transcend the limitations of his medium. The stripe, often dismissed as a simple graphic device has evolved into a profound symbol of the contradictions and complexities of the human condition. He reminds us that even within the most structured and seemingly simplistic forms there exists an endless potential for depth, meaning, and transformation. The stripes are not just colours on a canvas they are lines that trace the very fabric of life.
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Landscapes of Provence No 6. Oil and pigment on canvas, 48 inches x 72 inches.
Harry MC feels very at home amongst fellow creatives in the beautiful village of Lacoste in Provence. ( Not to be confused with the other creative hub and vineyard, Chateau La Coste, some 25 miles further south, towards Aix en Provence).
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Lacoste is an enchanting creative enclave. A small, understated, but wonderfully preserved medieval village with incredible views and you could leave it at that. But this village is a little different, being home to both an American university’s creative campus and, the late, fashion designer Pierre Cardin’s chateau and performing arts festival. Between them they own and have preserved around 70 properties, which is no doubt why it all has a very restored feel and is so easy on the eye. The village is almost a work of art in itself, and you can immerse yourself into the scene, Harry certainly found it a very pleasant and inspiring experience.
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​Harry came across Lacoste by chance when taking a short cut from Bonnieux to Menerbes and thought it was just another pretty hilltop hamlet. That was until he saw a sign for the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and thought, “let’s check that out”. His luck was certainly in that day, he met a charming SCAD student who gave him a personal tour of their facilities and explained the history behind it and would have been pleased with just that. Fortunately, he took a stroll up through the village, whereupon he discovered Pierre Cardin’s chateau, Le Chateau du Marquis de Sade, which looked amazing from the outside but was closed to visitors. But, how lucky can you get in one day? As he admired the sculptures surrounding the property, he got chatting with the gardener, who upon realising he was talking to the artist Harry MC, insisted he see the other works inside. So, in he went and had a close encounter with a giant pink elephant sculpture. ‘Non-artists’ will be pleased to hear the chateau is officially open to visitors during the summer months. The annual Festival created by Pierre Cardin has now been going over twenty seasons and takes place in the chateau’s quarries. It’s dedicated to theatre, dance and opera and promotes young singers at the start of their career.
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The village of Lacoste, once home to the revolutionary and all-round bad boy Marquis de Sade, has long provided a majestic setting, the purity of light appreciated by inspired creative visionaries. Over the past 20 years SCAD Lacoste has served as the American college’s flagship European residential study abroad program, offering a “premier educational experience” to SCAD students from an array of creative degree programs, such as architecture, art history, interior design, painting and film. Harry thought to himself if only the RCA had such a place back in the day.
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Restored former dwellings and medieval caves have been re-purposed into cutting-edge contemporary spaces - library, studios, classrooms, galleries, theatres, and residences. Notable restorations include the Residence du SCAD, the university’s guest house and the former boulangerie which is now a social centre. The shop, previously the studio of American painter Bernard Pfriem, has been converted into a gallery and boutique offering work by SCAD’s creatives. Also restored is La Maison Basse, a 16th century farmhouse with an illustrious history, once a gambling den of the Marquis de Sade.
Landscapes of Provence No.3. Oil and pigment on canvas, 39 inches x 39 inches.
