Jon Harris has lived, breathed and drawn Cambridge for over 50 years.
His architect's sense of structure and fabric, his draughtsman's eye and
vigorous use of pen and brush have produced an outstanding body of work.
In 1997 the Fitzwilliam Museum honoured him with an exhibition of some
90 paintings and drawings. A great many of his best works are published
for the fi rst time in Artist about Cambridge. They include drawings
from the more than 40 sketchbooks which have been his constant
companions over the past half century. Jon Harris's text describes in
compelling detail how the images came into being. Harris's work is not a
depiction of Cambridge as the tourist might like to have it, but is
rather about his fascination with unregarded vistas, its back streets,
crucial buildings lost to the wrecking ball, and with the city's
industrial past. The artist's unrivalled knowledge and understanding of
Cambridge and its environs inform every painting and drawing, helping
you enjoy a thousand things you might otherwise miss.
