New paintings by Peter Harris that consider the machines we need for living in modern cities

From the vehicles that transport us around our towns and cities to the waiting rooms and lobbies that guide us into buildings, Canadian artist Peter Harris loves to study how we live our lives.

Exit Level 4, 2018. All images courtesy of artist and Mira Godard Gallery. © Peter Harris

Exit Level 4, 2018. All images courtesy of artist and Mira Godard Gallery. © Peter Harris

Inspired by a quote from architect Le Corbusier who wrote that “A house is a machine for living in,” Peter's latest series of paintings consider the "machines" that are a vital adjunct to the city. His artworks are portraits of the structures, devices and tools necessary for living in an urban setting.

"This includes transportation devices such as taxis and subways that move us above and below the streets; transitional areas of lobbies and waiting rooms that function to sort and guide us from exterior to interior spaces; and bank machines which provide a street-level interface to connect us to financial networks," Peter explains. "These are the “Machines for Living” of the modern city."

We've been fascinated with Peter's work for some time, having previously shared his series Evening with Hopper , which includes paintings of buildings as though you were stood on the pavement outside and looking into brightly-lit interiors where reconstructed paintings by Hopper are hung on the walls.

You can see his new series, Machines for Living, at a new exhibition at the Mira Godard Gallery in Toronto from 30 March until 20 April. Find out more: godardgallery.com.

Level 3 Waiting Zone (with Francis Bacon), 2019. © Peter Harris

Level 3 Waiting Zone (with Francis Bacon), 2019. © Peter Harris

Streetcar Profile (4078), 2019. © Peter Harris

Streetcar Profile (4078), 2019. © Peter Harris

Toronto, 2019. © Peter Harris

Toronto, 2019. © Peter Harris

Subway (Line 1), 2019. © Peter Harris

Subway (Line 1), 2019. © Peter Harris

Madrid, 2019. © Peter Harris

Madrid, 2019. © Peter Harris

Share

Get the best of Creative Boom delivered to your inbox weekly