Finding aid for the Frederick and Kazuko Harris Library Collection
Title:
Frederick and Kazuko Harris Library Collection
Repository:
Ohio University
Phone: 740-593-2710
http://www.library.ohiou.edu/about/collections/archives-special-collections/
Phone: 740-593-2710
http://www.library.ohiou.edu/archives
Creator:
Harris, Frederick, 1932-; and Harris, Kazuko.
Dates:
circa 2000 BCE-2010 CE
Quantity:
85 cubic feet
Abstract:
 The Frederick and Kazuko Harris Library Collection is a collection of art collected by and created by Frederick Harris (FH). Aside from being a painter, FH was also an author, art professor, Korean War veteran, and American expatriate living in Tokyo, Japan. This collection represents art collected and created by FH in the span of forty years. Art collected includes mostly ceramics, statuettes, and figurines from many countries in Asia, prints, and inksticks. Art created includes all of FH's sketchbooks, and a large number of his finished sumi-e and watercolor work. Other items in the collection are furniture and utensils from FH's art studio.
Identification:
FAMSS0002
Location:
Frederick and Kazuko Harris Fine Arts Library and Library Annex, Ohio University Libraries.
Language:
The records are in English, Japanese and Chinese
Sample Image:
A portion of the collection has been digitized and is available in CONTENTdm.

Biography of Frederick Harris

A painter, author, art professor, and collector of art, Frederick Harris (FH) was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1932. He attended an art high school in New York. From 1952 to 1953, FH served in the army in the Korean War. After fighting ceased, he was transferred to a base in Japan. There he met his wife Kazuko (KH) and married her in 1954. They returned to the United States, and initially lived in Indianapolis, Indiana where FH studied at the Herron Art Institute. He was then accepted to the Art Center College in Los Angeles where he earned his degree. The Art Center College asked him to remain as part of the faculty. In 1963, FH was working for a Los Angeles architecture firm that sent him to Japan to open an office. FH and KH moved to Japan permanently at that time. In the late 1960s, FH left the architecture firm to open his own interior design firm in Tokyo called The Design Studio.

While working as the president of the design firm, he continued painting. He had begun with oils and other opaque media, but felt he could not appropriately capture the Japan countryside with these paints, and switched to watercolor. Around 1977, a friend suggested he try sumi, a black Japanese ink. Sumi-e means "ink picture." Since that time, FH used both watercolors and sumi. FH has stated that the way he uses sumi is different from the traditional way of painting with it. One of the main differences is the use of shadows. FH traveled extensively for both work and pleasure, and artworks created by him and collected by him reflect this. He collected works from Japan, China, and Việt Nam, among other places.

FH had a solid reputation as an artist in Japan. He regularly exhibited in Japan and received awards for his work. The U.S. Navy appointed him an official artist. During this time, he produced drawings and paintings of scenes on ships at sea and in port that were given to the U.S. Navy for display in living quarters, offices, and in the submarine museum in Hawaii. FH wrote art columns for several Tokyo publications. In 1981, he was selected as the director of the Modern Sumi-e Painters Association. He also taught a watercolor class at the Tokyo American Club.

FH wrote several books about his work including My Journey with Sumie Art and Travels with a Brush. Several paintings and sketches in this collection appear in these books along with works of his not in this collection.

FH's relationship with Ohio University (OU) began in 1994 when his friend and OU alumnus Robert Fallon (RF) suggested OU as the recipient of FH's collection of books. FH and KH donated thousands of books, many of them rare or out-of-print Asian art books. In 1996, FH came to OU to teach Japanese art in the School of Art. At that time, he also had an exhibit of his work at OU's Trisolini Gallery. In 1997, FH served on the Board of Directors for the Kennedy Museum, and OU granted him and Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts. Besides art books, FH and KH made several donations to the Ohio University Libraries, including a collection of Yao ceremonial artifacts. The final bequest, The Frederick and Kazuko Harris Library Collection, was received after FH's death in 2010.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Harris, Frederick, My Journey with Sumie Art. Japan: Shuyusaku-sha, 2000. Harris, Frederick, Travels with a Brush. Japan: The Japan Times, 2003. Hines, Diane Casella, "Fred Harris: A Gaijin Paints Suiboku," American Artist, March 1982: 52-57, 80-81. Ikeda, Akira, "A designer's fine art of success," Mainichi Daily News, September 23, 1997. "Visiting Artist Fred Harris Teaches Japanese Painting Techniques, Delivers Public Lectures." Ohio University News Service press release. Athens, OH, September 17, 1996. Yoneyama, Shiro, "'Sumi-e' artist blends, East, West," The Japan Times, October 2, 1997.

Scope and Content

The Frederick and Kazuko Harris Library Collection is composed of artwork created and collected by Frederick Harris (FH) along with items from his art studio. This collection represents art collected and created over the span of forty years. The collection has been organized into three series: I. Collected Works; II. Created Works; and III. Other. Art collected includes mostly porcelain, stoneware, and earthenware vessels; statuettes and figurines from many countries throughout Asia; prints; and inksticks. Art created includes all of FH's sketchbooks, and a large number of his finished sumi-e and watercolor paintings. Other items in the collection are furniture and utensils from FH's art studio. Because the items were in a private collection, purchase and provenance records are not available.

Statement of Arrangement

Organized into three series: I. Collected Works; II. Created Works; and III. Other

Restrictions on Use

Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Fine Arts Librarian, 740-593-2663.

Restrictions on Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Ohio University Libraries. Some materials are held offsite. Please contact the Fine Arts Librarian at 740.593.2663 to request materials. Many items in the collection are available for classroom use by Ohio University faculty. Please refer to the item lists for specific items use status.

Related Material: Related Material

Yao Ceremonial Artifacts Collection, FAMSS0001, Frederick and Kazuko Harris Fine Arts Library, Ohio University Libraries.


Subject Terms

The following terms have been used to describe this collection.

Persons:

Harris, Frederick, 1932-

Preferred Citation

Researchers are requested to cite Frederick and Kazuko Harris Library Collection, FAMSS00002, Frederick and Kazuko Harris Fine Arts Library, Ohio University Libraries in all footnotes and bibliographical references.

Acquisition Information

The Frederick and Kazuko Harris Fine Arts Library in the Ohio University Libraries received the collection in March 2011 through bequest of Frederick Harris.

Detailed Description of the Collection



I. Collected Works, circa 2000 BCE-2000 CE

Item List for Subseries A. Framed Works

Item List for Subseries B. Objects

Item List for Subseries C. Prints and Sketchbooks

Item List for Subseries D. Scrolls

Scope and Content
Collected Works contains art work in the Frederick Harris (FH) Art Collection that was collected by FH throughout his lifetime. This series does not include the artwork created by FH. The oldest item collected by FH is an earthenware vessel tentatively dated to 2000 B.C.E.Framed Works are framed two-dimensional works of art collected by FH. The different types of media have not been conclusively determined, but look like oil paint, ink, pastel or colored pencils, watercolor, postage stamps and other paper, along with various printing techniques.Objects include ceramics mostly from Japan and China, utensils in other media, figurines and sculptures from throughout Asia, water puppets, and inksticks. The different items in ceramics include plates, bottles, jugs, teabowls (or chawan,) lidded jars, ewers, vases, teacups, and guinomi (Japanese tea or sake cup). Ceramic types are porcelain, stoneware, and earthenware. Figurines and sculpture include representation of deities, the Buddha, monks, priests, animals, and some that may be from Japanese Doll Festival displays. The items in Objects were reviewed, researched and identified by a team of art historians prior to the processing of the collection and creation of the finding aid. Any paperwork that was found with an object has been removed to a folder. Items removed from use by the research team include 32 wooden or wood-like bases; 1 shelf; 2 mats; 2 flat cushions; 7 stands; and 3 glass display cases.Prints and Sketchbooks includes a set of ukiyo-e prints by Yasuji Inoue, a set of prints by an unknown artist, a box of prints by Tobei Kamei, and two sketchbooks by an unknown artist.Scrolls includes Japanese hanging scrolls and handscrolls. Only two hanging scrolls have an identified artist, and the artist is Shōun Yamamoto.


Organized into four subseries: A. Framed Works; B. Objects; C. Prints and Sketchbooks; and D. Scrolls. A. Framed Works has been organized by artist name when known. B. Objects is kept in the numerical order given to it by the research team. C. Prints and Sketchbooks are organized by artist name, then date, then title, when possible. The two sets of prints by Yasuji Inoue and an unknown artist were received in two folders by sets. Each print has been cataloged as a separate object, but the identification number given groups it with the rest of its set. D. Scrolls are organized by the numerical order given by the research team.


II. Created Works, 1969-2010

Item List for Subseries A. Paintings

Item List for Subseries B. Sketchbooks

Scope and Content
Created Works contains all artwork in the collection created by Frederick Harris (FH). Paintings by FH are sumi-e and watercolor on Japanese paper. Most have been framed. The frames are not easily removed, and framed paintings have been measured only in the frame. Unframed paintings have been attached to a paper backing. Unframed painting measurements do not include the paper backing. Paintings are signed and stamped by FH unless otherwise noted. The subject matter includes temples and other structures, mountains, landscapes, towns and villages, boats on water, and figures.Sketchbooks include sketchbooks and portfolios of sketches created by FH while in Japan and during his travels around the world. Places other than Japan that are often represented include Hawaii and California, United States; Malaysia; Việt Nam; Italy; and England. Subject matter includes landscapes, seascapes, genre scenes in towns and cities, figures and portraits, and architecture. Some of the sketchbooks also function as scrapbooks with collected items interleaved in the pages along with drawings. FH switched between using sketchbooks that were viewed left to right, right to left, and up to down. The right to left orientation happened more frequently with Japanese hand-bound sketchbooks. There are also a few sketchbooks that unfold in an accordion manner and allow for the artist to mimic the format of a hanging or hand scroll. FH frequently noted the place and date of the sketch in a corner of the page. Sometimes he would begin using a sketchbook years after the last time it was used. In a few places, he has transposed the numbers in the year. FH left space on his sketches at temples so that the residing priests could apply the temple's stamp as proof of his visit. Many of the sketchbooks are only partially filled. Discrepancies between the number of pages published on the covers of sketchbooks and the number of pages currently in the sketchbooks demonstrate that FH frequently removed pages from his sketchbooks. This is also noticeable when comparing the number of pages in sketchbooks of identical make. Some sketchbooks also contain loose pages obviously from other sources.


Organized into two subseries: A. Paintings; and B. Sketchbooks. A. Paintings are organized by media type, then date, when possible. B. Sketchbooks are organized chronologically.


III. Other, undated

Scope and Content
Other includes items from Frederick Harris's studio including art supplies and paintbrushes, a desk, and other furniture.


This series remains in its original arrangement.