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Home > Clifford Harper


Clifford Harper (born July 13, 1949) is an artist who describes himself as a "committed anarchist" and cartoonist. He was born in Chiswick, North London and was expelled from school at 13 and placed on probation at 14, after which he worked in a series of what he describes as "menial jobs". An activist in the London squatting and commune scene during the late 60s onwards, he became a self-taught artist.

Throughout the 70s he was a prolific illustrator for many radical and alternative publications such as Undercurrents , Cienfuegos Press Anarchist Review , and his self-published Class War Comix project.


Above; cover art of Harper's 1978 'Class War Comix'

His distinctive line drawing style was perhaps most typically exemplified by his utopian 'Visions' series of posters, commissioned for the Undercurrents' 1974 published anthology Radical Technology. These illustrated scenes of post-revolutionary self-sufficiency in urban and rural settings, and were almost de rigueur decoration for the kitchen wall of any self-respecting radical's commune, squat or bedsit during the 1970s. Of these posters Harper writes:

"Funnily enough they were particularly popular in Spain following the death of Franco and the liberalisation that followed that happy event. I think the reason for their success is that although they are utopian images they depict an existence that is immediately approachable -- all it would take is the seizing of a few empty buildings and the knocking down of a few meaningless walls..."

Heavily influenced by comic bookA comic book (sometimes called funnies or funny paper is a book or magazine and more recently a graphic novel in the artistic medium known as comics. American comic books have become closely associated with the superhero genre, but the subject matter of cs, Eric GillArthur Eric Rowton Gill ( February 22, 1882 November 17, 1940) was a British sculptor, typographer and engraver. Gill was born in Brighton, Sussex (now East Sussex). In 1902 he attended classes, studying lettering under the calligrapher Edward Johnston at and the narrative woodcutA woodcut is a method of printing in which an image is carved into the surface of a piece of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with chisels. The image is then inked by rollins of Frans MasereelFrans Masereel ( 1889- 1972) was a belgian painter, one of the greatest woodcut artist of our time. External link Masereel, Frans Masereel, Frans Masereel, Frans Masereel, Frans., Harper's style evolved in the 19801980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. Events January-February January 1- April 1 National steel strike in United Kingdom January 1 Changes to the Swedish Act of Succession creates Victoria of Sweden, Crown Princess over her younger brother January 5 Hes into a bolder, more expressionist direction, with much of his later artwork resembling wood or lino cuts, although in fact he still mainly works in pen and ink.


Above; One of the series of Harper's 1970s 'Visions' posters

Harper's poster for the 1996 Anarchist Bookfair, illustrating his evolution to a more expressionistic style

In 1987 Harper's Anarchy, A Graphic Guide , which he both wrote and illustrated, was published by Camden Press . Arguably, this has become a definitive introduction to the subject, combining a thorough overview of anarchism with his distinctive graphic work. As well as being one of Britain's leading radical illustrators, Harper remains a committed and engaged anarchist activist by continuing his involvement with the organisation of the UK's annual Anarchist Bookfair , and small press publishing projects. His work regularly appears in the British newspaper The Guardian.

A book of Harper's collected illustrations for The Guardian's regular Country Diary column was published by Agraphia Press in 2003.

He has also designed anarchist postage stamps.

Graphic Anarchy, a free exhibition of his work, was held from 4 April until 30 May 2003 at the http://www.guardian.co.uk/newsroom/0,11717,658428,00.html Newsroom Gallery, 60 Farringdon Road, London, EC1

See also: Anarchism in the arts, libertarian socialism


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