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Evening with Hopper: Intriguing oil paintings of Edward Hopper artworks on display in buildings at night

You know when you're wandering down a street at night, and you can't help but peek inside brightly-lit buildings, just to see what's happening inside? This is exactly what Toronto artist Peter Harris wants you to feel when you consider his intriguing series of oil paintings, Evening with Hopper.

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Illuminated modernist building facade with large windows displaying an interior space containing a chair, red geometric shapes, and framed artworks visible from the street

However, there's a twist. He carefully places reconstructed artworks by Edward Hopper inside each building that he paints – as though you're stood on the pavement outside, spotting them from the street. Sometimes, his works include paintings from other famous artists.

"As a landscape painter, I strive to create images that connect viewers to their immediate surroundings," explains Peter. "While my work is situated in the present, it often invokes artists from the past whose paintings linger in our collection memory and influence how we think about landscape. Edward Hopper and Lawren Harris are two such artists whose iconic imagery still resonates, and whose reputation casts a long shadow over all the artists working within the genre."

Evening with Hopper comprises 12 oil on canvas paintings that place the works of well-known painters such as Edward Hopper into crisp, modern, architectural settings. Peter adds: "I hope to create a new context to evaluate his iconic paintings, and start a discussion on the continuing power and relevance of urban painting to a contemporary audience."

Evening with Hopper will go on display at the Mira Godard Gallery, 22 Hazelton Ave, Toronto from 29 April until 27 May 2017. Find out more at www.godardgallery.com.

Brightly lit interior of a modern building viewed through glass doors at night, with yellow and black geometric floor patterns, orange wall panels, framed artworks on cream walls and a staircase visible inside
Building entrance numbered 233 with glass doors, red interior walls and black and white striped stairs visible through the glazing at night
Storefront window at night displaying artwork inside, illuminated from within, with dark urban surroundings framing the view
Inside a modern lift with closed doors, a bilingual exit sign for level 3 is visible above, with a framed artwork displayed on the back wall
Brightly lit storefront with yellow and rust-coloured facade and the number 456, viewed from the street at night with glass doors and windows
A modern gallery interior viewed through glass doors, featuring an orange wall with artworks displayed, a black bench, and illuminated vertical panels on either side
A nighttime street scene showing a modern building entrance with mint-green glass doors and panels, featuring a reconstructed Edward Hopper artwork visible through the illuminated storefront
Storefront number 29 with glass doors and windows glowing yellow inside, an "OPEN" sign visible on the left, and a potted plant on the right, viewed from the street at night
Dark-framed glass doors marked with number 17 open onto a brightly lit interior with yellow walls, part of Peter Harris's Evening with Hopper series
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