Remain in Balance – Steven Harrington
Remain in Balance by Steven Harrington / ISBN 9783905999075 / 36 pages, 7.75 x 10 inches, staple-bound / first edition from 2012, published by Nieves in Switzerland. Out of print book, limited stock.
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Remain in Balance by Steven Harrington attempts to shed light on the universal struggle of staying balanced in a Life that is continually changing without our consent. Together with words by Elena Harrington, Steven’s series of Totem drawings, which are carefully constructed out of objects of necessity and leisure, create a timeless visual story remarking on the complicated, ever impossible balance we all strive to maintain. Feelings that by most are internalized and kept private are personified through Steven’s sequence of drawings, giving the viewer a chance to reflect on their own lives, while simultaneously realizing that we all encounter similar struggles. What started merely as pencil sketches that Steven began doing during his down time at his home in Los Angeles, became a series of drawings. Playing with the idea of the Linear, both vertical and horizontal, he recognized that his “balance drawings” and the objects that they were comprised of revealed a merge between his personal and professional life. A hodgepodge of fun, silly, and serious objects combined together created a reflection on his own desire to maintain balance; it was then that he recognized that these Totem Poles, similar to what they have historically done for centuries, told a story. Here Steven’s first release for Nieves also functions as a catalogue of sorts for his first solo artshow August 2012 in Los Angeles California.
Cited as leading a contemporary Californian psychedelic-pop aesthetic, the Los Angeles-based artist and designer Steven Harrington is best known for his hazy hued, iconic style that encourages a two way conversation between the artist and viewer. There’s a timeless quality to his playful yet thought provoking work, inspired by California’s mystique, vastly diverse landscape and a thriving mix of cultures. Embracing a multimedia approach, Harrington’s portfolio includes large-scale installations out of plaster and stone to hand screened prints, limited edition books, skateboards, and sculptures. Alongside his personal work, Harrington co-founded both the acclaimed design agency National Forest and pop-art brand “You&I.” He has exhibited artwork in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Barcelona, Tokyo, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Montreal, Melbourne and Dallas.