PICTURES: BRYAN HARFORD
Local Arts
ABOVE: A still life on Brancaster beach by Bryan Harford – a colourful contrast to the local artist’s series of works inspired by the railway posters of the 1930s (opposite)
Mixing a splash of colour with a touch of nostalgia With a diverse portfolio ranging from the realistic to the abstract, the work of Norfolk artist Bryan Harford is both engaging and technically brilliant. He talks to KL magazine about his love of art – and Norfolk
D
uring the inter-war years, railway posters became an art form in themselves. Even fine artists of the day – including several members of the Royal Academy – were commissioned to produce images and scenes advertising different rail companies and the beautiful parts of the country they travelled to. As times changed and the country’s railway network was dismantled, railway posters gradually became a thing of the past – but Norfolk artist Bryan Harford is now using the 1930s style to produce a series of stunning paintings depicting
KLmagazine September 2017
some of the county’s most iconic and best-loved landscapes. KL magazine: How did your artistic career begin? BRYAN HARFORD: It started in York in the early 1990s while I was studying and qualifying as an art teacher. I selfcurated exhibitions and worked to private commissions, and as my reputation grew I was invited to show in various local galleries. KL: When (and why) did you decide to make a career of it? BH: Art had always been my passion
and consumed both my imagination and life, so when the opportunity arose I naturally pursued it. After teaching art for eight years in prisons and having seen our youngest child through university, I decided to take the plunge and follow a career as a full-time professional artist. KL: Why did you come to Norfolk? BH: Having been a holiday visitor to Norfolk all my life, and having introduced my children to the natural beauty and unspoilt landscape, the area has been (and continues to be) a massive influence on my work. So to
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