We recently connected with Howard Harris and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Howard thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I was born to be an artist. I can’t think of a time when art was not part of my
life. From as early as I can remember, art of some type – painting, sculpture,
photography, theater, etc. – has always been a part of my life. It is only a foggy memory, but I took my first formal drawing class when I was 8 or 10. I still have two vivid memories of that class; One was that the class was held
in an “artist” style loft (very cool), and the other was the teacher laughing at
me when I drew a fox with a tail that looked like it exploded out of the fox’s
rear end. That perceived failure inspired me to refine my art aspirations
and pursue artistic projects following my intuition and imagination rather
than following any set path or style.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Looking back, I realize that I have long been fascinated by both visual perception and design. This fascination likely began after I regained my sight following a traumatic accident when a model rocket engine exploded in my face, leaving me blind for several months. I earned a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and initially worked in architectural design and space planning. Later, I enrolled at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where I received a Master of Industrial Design, studying under renowned design theorist Rowena Reed Kostellow.
In 1975, I returned to Denver and spent over 35 years integrating design and technology within the realm of direct marketing. Throughout this period, I continued my education, studying economics, computer sciences, marketing, graphic arts, and financial management. I also earned several professional awards, including the Small Business Bureau’s Small Business of the Year. Although my creative efforts were primarily in service of others—individuals and companies—I eventually retired to focus on my own art. That turn toward fine art involved photography, a lifelong passion of mine.
In 2017, I was awarded a U.S. Patent for a Layered Artwork, which underscored the uniqueness and innovation of my images. Today, I see myself as a curious student of art, philosophy, technology, and invention—using every tool available to craft visually pleasing images. When no existing device can express my vision, I invent one. I am naturally inclined to explore the unconventional; if others follow the crowd, I tend to go in the opposite direction to uncover new perspectives.
My creative process begins with capturing a single digital image that serves as a memory or moment of significance. While my camera records at a specific shutter speed, I aim to internalize the full dimensionality of the moment, turning the photograph into a reference note of that memory. I then employ various technologies to analyze and manipulate color, line, and form—exaggerating or morphing the image into a symphony of colors and shapes that evoke a sense of time, space, emotion, and point of view.
Much of my philosophical inspiration stems from studies in fractals, fluid dynamics, quantum physics, and chaos theory—particularly the idea that the observer influences what is observed. My work is rooted in exploring the wonders of the world and understanding its inherently polymorphic nature. I find excitement in examining the variations within a single image, which then become models through which I seek to express my artistic vision. Sometimes I intentionally direct my memories into my artwork; at other times, the image takes on a life of its own, and I serve merely as a conduit for its story.
Visual reality is a constantly shifting, highly personal experience. What we see at any given moment reflects both our inner state and external stimuli—light, color, movement, and space. My exploration of Techspressionism—dimensional photographic art—aims to recreate this dynamic perceptual experience, revealing its hidden complexities.
As Josef Albers said, “Abstraction is real, probably more real than nature.” I believe photographic art should transcend static, two-dimensional representations of nature. It should capture more than a single moment, view, or experience. The artist’s goal is to embed additional dimensions—personal emotion, movement, and the interplay with an ever-changing environment—into their work. Mastery of technology is essential, but it must serve a higher purpose; technical skill alone makes one a technician. True artistic expression involves transcending technique to incorporate intangible elements that communicate movement, emotion, and interaction.
Ultimately, I aspire to embody Thoreau’s words: “It’s not what you look at that matters; it’s what you see.” I hope viewers recognize their own unique emotions and experiences when engaging with my images. My work is meant to act as a conduit, inviting viewers into a three-dimensional, spherical experience of light, feeling, time, and space—an experience that is anything but frozen in time.
One common emotional response I often hear is “surprise”: viewers frequently say, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” While one might expect a static image to be straightforward, I think the movement and layered construction of my artworks evoke astonishment, highlighting the difference between a simple picture and a dynamic visual experience.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I pivoted through several stages throughout my adventure as an artist. And noted below are just the major pivot points. I have had many pivots within each of my major pivot points.

• The first stages of my work were mostly technology based, using the camera, with what one would consider a good eye. Meaning I did what I did somewhat unconsciously. The “art” or image just happened because I understood technology and was lucky with subject, composition, etc.

• The second stage of my work began in the early 70’s at the Kansas City Art Institute. It was there I began to understand that mastering technology was just part of the “art” equation. Going through their foundation program helped me realize that intuition and a good eye were great but without the discipline of deliberateness all my art would continue to be either lucky or random. It was there that I became a deliberate artist, able to control my actions and images.

• The third stage also happened at the Kansas City Art Institute where I used my art to become a designer. The quest to create for others overpowered my desire to create for myself. My technological skills improved not only with the mechanics of creating images through tools but the mechanics of my mind and thought also improved.

• The fourth stage of my art happened when I went to Pratt Institute to study under Rowena Reed Kostellow. By this time, I was clearly on the design track, not the fine art track, and wanted to learn Industrial Design from one of the founders of that profession. It was Rowena that helped me discover that the understanding of technology of machine and thought were not enough. One also needs the understanding of self, vision, emotion and surprise to create either good design or good art. There need not be a difference between design and art. Yes, they can exist separately but when they come together it is “nirvana”.

• The fifth stage really lasted from the early 70’s through 2011. I became part of a 5-person company, grew it to over 160 people based on the concept of merging technology with design with the end goal to make it art. Honestly, 95% of what we created I would classify as design. The 5% that could be considered art helped the entire company keep going with the knowledge that art was possible in a very commercial setting.

• The sixth stage of my quest to create art is where I am at right now. I have come to the realization that till now I have been a designer not an artist. I define design as that which one does for others. Pleasing them, working for them, having them set the parameters for success and passing the final judgement as to what is successful or not. Now, I am striving to create art for myself. I am the one I must please. I am the one that sets the parameters and I am the one that judges what is successful or not. Since I am still trying to understand this phase I can’t explain it much more than I have. But, also understand I am still somewhat in the struggle between “Art” and “Design”.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

There isn’t just one lesson I had to unlearn: rather, many. However, if I had to choose the most significant lesson, I had to unlearn was the idea that living and growing up in the U.S. meant I only embrace Western thought.

Growing up with a Dewey-based education, Newtonian physics, and the belief that success equals a good paying job, I felt stuck because I believed I had an artist’s mind and heart. As part of the Hippy generation, I was exposed to “Eastern philosophy,” but I didn’t fully understand what it meant at the time. Now, I can better articulate that Eastern philosophy takes a more spiritual approach to life, while Western philosophy tends to be more mechanistic. Instead of calling either one a “philosophy,” I prefer to think of them as Eastern and Western thought.
My work today is a synthesis of these two perspectives—a tapestry that helps me understand the world. Coming from a Western mindset, Eastern thought has given me permission to explore beyond the definable. For example, Western thought insists that 1+1 always equals 2, but Eastern thought allows that this equation could represent something different depending on what each “1” signifies. Concepts from string theory, chaos theory, quantum physics, and fluid dynamics help me Westernize my understanding of Eastern ideas. Still, these studies only reveal shadows of what Eastern thought might be doing internally. To deepen my understanding, I sought mentorship at Pratt Institute.

My mentor, Rowena Reed Kostellow, used a teaching approach that combined modern scientific methods with fostering self-expression and called it industrial design. As Gail Hannah describes in her book about Rowena: “It is impossible to reproduce the experience of being and working in her classroom. The essence of her teaching was the experience itself—intense concentration, discovery, revelation, powerful personal epiphanies that defy description.” Rowena also taught me that beauty is a mystery to be solved. Her principles and methods are ingrained in my work, including our collaboration where I taught her computers, and she taught me design. Our shared goal was to translate beauty through computing—her belief, much like mine, is that the computer can create everything correctly, yet still produce something unattractive if not guided by human perception.

Though Rowena didn’t frame her insights as Eastern in nature, my desire to explore emotional and perceptual concepts led me to formally study Eastern philosophies as a minor at Pratt.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hharrisphoto.com
• Instagram: @howardharrisphotoart
• Facebook: @howardharrisphotoart
• Linkedin: Howard Harrist Techspressionist

Image Credits

All original photos taken by “me” Howard Harris