Early Harkrader

A collector friend of Harkrader who owns this early (1987) Harkrader oil on canvas and has been in their possession since 1999 ask the artist to store this bizarre painting in his studio due to moving. The artist admitted it was interesting to reacquaint himself with this early work. The artist's vision of 'Children of the Dust' (48x36) became enhanced as he lives with it again in the studio. "To revisit early work can be impressive, distressing and even discouraging, but this painting now seems most important". Harkrader remembers self-modeling for this composition. He lay on the floor in his upstairs studio at 312. Sketches were made in charcoal-pencil on newsprint and are still in his possession. Many canvases can be a struggle, but Harkrader remembers how painless this painting came to life (or death). The indisputable struggle lies within the imagery! "Human kind is either being born, re-born, dying or re-dying", says Harkrader.

Missing Vessel III

Vessel III is not missing, but the artist is missing having this painting hang on his living room wall. Painted in 2007 while still working at the Studios On The Square (Campell) location in Roanoke City, Harkrader completed three of the five vessel paintings, but none as controversial as Vessel III. Harkrader and his wife traveled to Western and Eastern Europe during this year. Harkrader and Ellen housed with artists in Rome & Paris, in addition to a journey that led them to Budapest and Prague. These trips was absolutely filled with intrigue, adventure and mishap which will be covered in a later post.

In this same year, Harkrader read Dan Brown's fiction, the Da Vinci Code which was full of symbolism, code, numbers, secrets, interpretation and meaning. The book made a large impression on Harkrader on many levels. Painted after reading the Da Vinci Code, the book controversial for many reasons including the possibility of Christ having fathered a child by Mary Magdalene, the role of the church in art, Symbolism, code, numbers, intrigue and secrets fill the book especially and Harkrader has filled his painting with some enigma.

The vessel shapes in this Harkrader canvas are all (3) masculine. Shapes (blade/pryamid)=masculine as revealed in Christian literature, Da Vinci's Last Supper and Brown's version of fiction. Some of the raised text in the painting include Heiros Gamos & SubRosa. Harkrader dissected a sweeping vertical opening in the left center section of the canvas and laced the opening up with copper wire that became embedded as the painting progressed. This opening is symbolic of the of the wound & scar in Christ's side. The center 'masculine shaped' vessel is covered in the blood, which is symbolic of communion (derived from Latin for 'sharing in common), where wine is substituted for the blood of Christ and and the faithful partake in 'open communion' as practiced by many Christians.

Other very personal enigma that Harkrader embedded are contained in two of the three small verticle circles that reside along the lower right side of the canvas along the left side of the blue line. The content of these three circles were rarely noticed by the majority of spectators who viewed this canvas while on display in Virginia, Washington DC, and Philadelphia.