About

'Pam Harris's work takes her on a more isolated journey, not so much committed to finding a place in society – to winning friends and influencing people – as to finding a place in the universe, something too big for most of us to comprehend, most of the time. It is not about the individual self – more about self as a part of the whole, something that conforms to a universal order that is beyond our control and even our comprehension. Instead of celebrating Humanity’s place it courageously acknowledges our humble status in the greater scheme of things. It is cerebral rather than intuitive and looks to science as well as to the arts. It is ultimately positive compared to the Romantics, since it sets aside a pre-dominantly tragic position for a rational one. Harmony comes from acceptance of our lowly place in the wider scheme of things. The paradox is that for all the scientific laws explored in these paintings it is as works of art that they prove their point. If they did not satisfy the artist’s lofty criteria they would also fail to prove the scientific principles.’

Read more…

(Extract from the essay ‘The Dancer and the Dance.  The Paintings of Pam Harris’ by Catherine Marshall, Art Historian and Senior Curator and Head of Collections at the Irish Museum of Modern Art,  Dublin 2006.  From the catalogue ‘New Paintings’).

‘In the anti-intellectual climate of today, it is refreshing to find an artist who is not afraid to ask the big questions and give them some form of visual reality through painting. Although seeing has been the privileged sense in Western aesthetics, Harris’ art brings the rationalism usually associated with scientific and philosophical concepts into direct contact with aesthetics, the intuitive and deeply emotional.

…Her achievement is to produce paintings that are not only visually compelling using the minimal means of line and colour, but that she also manages to convey the fragility of existence in the Heraclitean flux.’

(Extract from ‘Enfolded’ by Brenda Moore-McCann,  Art Historian, Dublin 2008.  From the catalogue ‘Enfolded’). 

‘These are refined, nuanced and sophisticated artworks that do not require further exegesis; they achieve with apparent ease what Carl Andre aimed for in his own work: “Stillness, silence and peace are treasures which our mass culture is endlessly trying to steal from us and destroy. If my work offers a sense of order, peace and stillness to anyone, then it has succeeded.” Like Jules Olitski’s rich, dense velvety surfaces in the 1960s, here are surfaces and paintings that both seduce and distance the viewer; the subtle, sensual use of colour alongside the coolness that belongs to the very best of non-figurative painting.’

(Extract from 'À la recherce…’ by John Daly Director, Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin.  2010.  From the catalogue ‘Selected Paintings’). 

PUBLICATION

Einstein called the scientist and philosopher David Bohm (1917-1992) his 'spiritual son', and the Dalai Lama called him his 'science guru'. However, during his lifetime, the orthodox scientific community largely ignored his work, which explored the nature of reality.

The physicist F. David Peat was one of those who did value his work. Together with Maureen Doolin, Peat created 'The Pari Centre For New Learning' in 2000 (known since 2016 as The Pari Centre). Due to Peat's determination, Bohm's work and ideas are becoming ever more widely recognised, and play an essential role in the ongoing research and activities of The Pari Centre.

The Pari Centre publishes the beautifully produced Journal 'Pari Perspectives' four times annually. David Bohm has had a significant influence on my paintings, hence my invitation to write an essay for the March 2022 issue of the Journal.

Please click on the link below to read my contribution, entitled 'Finding David Bohm'.

Finding David Bohm

Work in Public Collections

The Office of Public Works (State Collection)
Carlow Institute of Technology
Irish Management Institute
The Financial Services Centre
The Millennium Art Collection (The Netherlands)
The Contemporary Arts Society
Vincent Ferguson Collection
V.H.I
RTE