Louise Harris
Artist
statement
I truly
stumbled into the art world by accident.
Having no formal training, education or background, I often say the art
actually found me. The experience of
sharing my work with others and being part of something bigger is also why I
have chosen to donate 100% of my profits. Therefore, anyone who purchases an LH
Original is bringing a little bit of hope and joy in the lives of others.
My intention
when designing each one-of-a-kind piece is to inspire one’s imagination to see
the endless possibilities and images that exist amongst the shadows. And when a piece is purchased, the endless
possibilities extend even further.
The Story
What looks to be an ordinary furnace filter
has inspired artwork for consultant and adjunct professor Louise Harris. Saying
that the art found her, Harris stumbled upon the metal circles in her own
furnace filter when she was changing it 10 years ago.
Her
masterpieces begin in the form of a square metal sheet typically used to make
bottle caps. The scrap metal is sent to Chicago where it’s used to make furnace
filters. Then it’s recycled a third time and transformed into abstract pieces
of art Harris calls Relief Circles.
“People
interpret Relief Circles in many different ways,” Harris says. Rightfully so,
since sales of the artwork provide relief to others. One hundred percent of the
profits from Harris’s art are donated to approximately 15 charitable causes
each year. “So far, we’ve helped train six service dogs, assisted 500 teens as
they’ve gone through a self-esteem program and we’ve worked with the Minnesota
Justice Association to help battered women,” Harris says. “Oh, and we’ve built
three houses in Africa, along with wells and a latrine.”
Harris lives
in two worlds, corporate and artistic. And the dichotomy of these realms fit
her perfectly. “The art helps me process whatever it is I’m thinking about,”
she says. “If I’m stuck trying to solve a problem I’ll go work in the studio.
And then, ironically, I’ll find the solution to my problem.”