Today’s Friday Favorites features a couple of guys whose work I consider as representing the classic style of science fiction art: John Berkey and John Harris. Both have a unique style and yet their paintings evoke a classical feel. Neither artist has a proper website so obtaining quality pictures of their work is a task in an of itself. Hopefully the examples that I have found will give you an idea of how stunning their work can be.
John Berkey has been painting majestic space ships for decades. His work is some of the first I recall being enthralled with when I first began reading science fiction.
Berkey is one whose work, in my opinion, has to be a part of the inspiration of the other artists whose work I have featured this past month. You can see where Stephan Martiniere’s digital work and Les Edwards’ paintings pay homage to Berkey’s massive, detailed starships.
Both John Berkey and John Harris work in other genres besides science fiction. A search for their work will turn up beautiful landscapes and paintings of ships on the open sea that have a renaissance flavor to them. Berkey incorporates water into many of his science fiction works as well.
I have used the adjective already to describe Berkey’s work but I have to use it again: majestic. He incorporates machines from the future into everyday landscapes for sweeping, breathtaking paintings. His work has a unique soft-focus look and feel to it that adds a level of depth to each piece. John Berkey’s work was a seminal influence in books I choose to read as a teenager.
_________________________
Similar influences can be seen in the work of John Harris. He too has been painting science fiction related work for decades and his book cover art graces many a book on my shelves.
Harris’ work has an even more soft focus appearance than John Berkey’s. I tend to want to use the word ‘fuzzy’ to describe it, despite that being a ridiculous description.
(Cover to James White’s Alien Emergencies)
John Harris’ work thrills me in so many ways. When reading a book with a Harris cover I find myself frequently flipping the book over to look at the image.
John Harris uses a more colorful palette than John Berkey, giving his work a distinctive look and feel. The warmth of his pastels give an otherworldly feel to the places he creates.
When I look at John Harris’ paintings I see movement, activity, life. They capture a moment in time.
My love of the work of John Harris has experienced a revival of late with the discovery of author John Scalzi. Harris’ work has graced the covers of Old Man’s War:
and it’s sequel The Ghost Brigades:
(Click on picture to see as book cover)
The third book in this trilogy comes out in April, The Last Colony:
(Click on picture to see as book cover)
Thanks for joining me for this week’s Friday Favorites. Both John Berkey and John Harris provide a link between my childhood and adult reading that makes the decades of my reading life seem like the smallest moment of time. When I see their work on the bookstore shelves I feel an instant, nostalgic connection that only these artists can give. I am so glad that they continue to work in this genre. I cannot imagine any other artwork on this series of John Scalzi’s, for example. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. If your sky is clear, look up an marvel at the night stars. The constellation Orion is particularly amazing this time of year. Happy weekend everyone!
Dude uses some thick oil paint!
Fuzzy is very apt, and I love Harris’ colours, if I was a home decorator I’d say perfect warm tones 🙂
No doubt. I would love to see the work of both of these artists up close, I think it would be amazing.
Good interior decorating lingo, Fence!
Interesting! I’m not so keen on John Harris’ work, but I’m really liking the last two pictures you posted from Berkey.
Oh, I wish I could see the stars at night…it’s been really cloudy here, light pollution aside. My astronomy class was super-fun times.
Both amazing artists but by far I prefer the ‘soft focus’ approach of Berkey to the ‘fuzzy’ (good descriptor) of Harris. Berkey’s seems more realistic to me for some reason. I’m feeling the need for a Star Trek – Next Generation episode marathon coming on.
I really enjoy both of their work, obviously. I probably like Harris’ better but they are different enough that I don’t really have much of a comparison. The biggest problem with showing Harris’ work is that there aren’t alot of good quality examples of his work online. One of my favorite book covers of his is for Orson Scott Card’s book Ender’s Game but I couldn’t find a copy of the art without the book lettering on it I liked. My only complaint about John Berkey is that I always want to say “Berkley”…I think he should add that ‘l’ in his name for my ease. 😉
I wish they would do more traveling exhibits of this kind of work because I would love the opportunity to see how these and other painted works I have featured on the FF look in their original form.
I’ve been watching episodes of the original Star Trek throughout the month for the same reason Heather…these images practically sing the Star Trek theme music.
I didn’t mention it specifically, but both artists have art books out. I have John Berkey’s and it is full of great work and I am hankering to buy a quality used copy (can’t get it new) of Mass, the Art of John Harris.
“Majestic” is a good. descriptive word for Berkey’s art. I also loved the contrast of the spaceship and the farm.
Whew! I forgot to proof read.
the lack of proof-reading just adds spice to the conversation! 😉
Erm, it’s off topic, I know, but from the Department Of Things That Enrage Me comes this – author Peter Beagle, of The Last Unicorn fame, won’t see a dime from sales of the 25th anniversary edition of the film based on his book, except for copies purchased through Conlan Press.
Just in case you or someone you know happens to be considering buying it… 🙂 Thought I’d let you know since you’re a Book Person as well.
I saw that a couple of days ago, rb. Awful. I’m mulling over whether to buy a copy, I think I probably will – I bought some signed books of his via Conlan Press before Christmas, in support.
I sent this to a friend of mine when I saw it the other day, RB, because I know his kids like the story. I actually ordered a special edition book thing from PSB awhile back that was supposed to come out but has been delayed all this time due to financial problems. It is very frustrating to see this kind of thing happen to creators and I feel for him.
Funny you should mention Orion. I was looking at the sky last night thinking that he was particularly clear.
Berkey’s work is amazing. Some of those images look like there is a photograph in the background (particularly the yellow themed painting). Very realistic background. Something about his spaceships remind me of Rendezvous with Rama and Ender’s Game. Can definitely see the influence on other “sci-fi painters.”
Thanks again for some great art!
Do you remember, Carl, several years ago now, there was an artist up for the Turner prize with a very similar painting t the ones you’ve reproduced above, and it turned out he had copied it almost exactly from the jacket of an SF novel. I cannot remember the name of either the original artist or the Turner prize one, but I do remember thinking that it was an amazing painting, and that SF has this fantastic potential as mainstream art that doesn’t get promoted enough. Great pictures.
John Berkey and John Harris are two of the _very_ best the field has to offer. Thank you for this post.
Thanks for the visit Ms. Gallo. You, and the rest of the great folks over at TOR, produce some of the most amazing books and jacket art around. As my friend Jeff and I poured over the latest Spectrum a few weeks back I frequently thought that yours is a job of which I am extremely jealous. You not only have a hand in but also see some of the most amazing artwork around. Kudos to you.
Those are awesome, and by the way…I need your prayers tommorrow when the Saints play da Bears.
I’m all over it Sheri, I am wanting the Saints all the way!
Rats….I’m still crying in my beer. Thanks for your cheers anyway!
I couldn’t believe how they got manhandled. I was really pulling for the Saints.
Great post on two incredible artists. Thanks again for loaning me that John Berkey book it was great and I’m hopeing you get that John Harris book so I can borrow it too. 🙂
I am so appreciative that you posted two of my favorite artists. They are my artistic touchstones. I keep John Harris’s book “Mass” and John Berkey’s book “Painted Space” on the shelf near my workspace for whenever I need a mental boost. Their ability to suggest detail and complexity so elegantly never ceases to inspire me.
You can find another John Harris cover here: http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Freefall-Matthew-Jarpe/dp/0765317842/sr=8-1/qid=1171390936/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3308880-3776102?ie=UTF8&s=books
I’m very happy with how it turned out. I’ve always liked impressionists and his use of color is perfect for setting the mood. You get a real sense of movement but also of scale with this picture.
Thanks Matt, you have to be thrilled to have gotten a Harris cover for your book, and for your debut novel, no less. That is really cool. I just popped over to your site and your book sounds really interesting. Congrats, I hope it does really well for you. Fun bio on your site, by the way.
Exceptional site Carl, don’t fret about being a so-called GEEK…..it’s geeks who set the standards of what eventually accepted as main stream. I wonder if John Berkley or John Harris where called geeks when they where your age… I’m assuming your a younger person. Everyone wants us to fits into a world that they think is the norm but to us it’s only the opening page to a much bigger scenario.
Keep-up this website…I found it inspiring for the style of art which I maybe pursuing in the near future
Ken
Thanks Ken, I appreciate the kind words. I certainly embrace my geek status on a regular basis. That is certainly one of the things I like about myself. 🙂
I tried to pop over to your site but it isn’t registering. Hope if you start putting up your own art that you come back and let me know so that I can check it out.
And I wouldn’t call myself young (I turn 40 this year), but I am young at heart.
Hi, great pictures. These two artist surely deserves the attention of more people. Sadly their art is hardly present online (at least in a decent resolution). Both Berkey and Harris create images that, no matter how outlandish they are, always manages to stay on the cool side. Personally I think it´s due to the rough suggestive style coupled with a complete mastery of the medium. As an illustrator myself these two have been a great inspiration. I did a Berkey tribute some time ago, and while it comes nowhere near his personal style it still expresses what I love about his work. You can view it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/karl_bryhn/394724325/
Thanks for a great post!
You are correct Karl. It is extremely hard to find decent hi res copies of their work online. Thankfully both of them have fairly decent art books that are available on the cheap. What I would love though is for Cathie and Arnie Fenner to do one of their high quality massive artbooks for each one, the way the have done for Frank Frazetta.
Thanks for the link to your stuff. It is great!!! Had to say I had a great deal of fun looking at your Flickr pictures. I am a big time house and workspace voyeur and so looking at the pics of those things were great. LOVE all your bookshelves and the stuff you had around them. Very fun that you had things labeled. Seeing your Milennium Falcon I thought you might appreciate the day I went a bit nuts having fun with my camera and took many model-style art poses of my Princess Leia animated statue:
http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/?p=698
and the pics of my office and bedroom bookshelves:
http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/?p=477
I also had to crack up when looking at the comments for your fantasybabe picture and seeing the “but what does it mean” comment. Before I realized that it was you responding to the comment above I had all kinds of wickedly funny conversations going on in my head and having to explain to some poor dork the ‘mystery of the boob’.
Thanks for visiting, I appreciate the comment and being able to discover your stuff.
Hi Carl…..sorry you where not able to get to the web-site. E-Mail me and I’ll direct you to the location. A quick question, have you added more content to this site. Maybe my memory is fuzzy as it seems that there is more art than before……Truly inspiration works of art, god I love their sense of colour and composition…..I only wish I could learn to loosen up with my brush the way these 2 artist have. By the way at 40 your still quite a bit younger than myself…….hahahahahaha.
Ken
I haven’t added anything at all to this post, if that is what you are asking. I am constantly featuring artists on this blog site, so if you refresh the site at the top you’ll see artists. If you click on my Friday Favorites link on the right hand side of my blog you’ll be able to see the last 30 or so artists I’ve featured.
is a wonderful work, i like illustrations sci fi since
16 years old,john buscema,David Egge,john Berkey,Stephen
Martinieri.
No words John Harris
when i see yours works trip to another worlds
too i paint more or less,inspirate in the artists
congratulations
jerry a lucas
Thanks for this great page man!
I love their artwork so much!!
Rest in peace John Berkey.
We miss you.