John Harvey (American, b. 1951)

Photo courtesy of the artist

Harvey was born into a devoutly Baptist family in Junction City, Georgia. In his youth he spent every Sunday listening to stories about God, the Devil, sin, and redemption. However, when his family uprooted and moved to a blue-collar neighborhood in Boston, Harvey rebelled. Dropping out of school after sixth grade, he began spending his time on the streets, drinking in excess. At seventeen, he was arrested for robbery and sentenced to five years in prison. Not long after his release, he was given another five years in jail, a cycle that continued into his adult life. Throughout his struggle with alcohol and time spent in prison, he never lost his faith and would continue to attend church. Nonetheless, he had difficulty reconciling his firm religious beliefs with his lifestyle, and in prison Harvey discovered an outlet for coming to terms with his life’s course. In 1987, he attended an art class and immediately displayed an obsessive drive to draw and paint. His more religious paintings rarely depict biblical passages literally; rather, they explore the people who find themselves rejected by God, living outside his grace, but still seeking spiritual guidance.