CLARKSVILLE, TN.- The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is showcasing large oil paintings on canvas and paper by acclaimed artist Paul Harmon in the Museum's Crouch Gallery. Harmon’s signature themes of reclining nudes and literary references are showcased in more than fifty works. New forms such as a dappled horse and a vibrant fox dance throughout the collection in Harmon’s signature blue hue and bold use of contour lines. The exhibition is hung salon-style, which takes its name and appearance from the salons of the 19th century where dozens of artworks were squeezed together on the walls as part of academic competitions in Paris.

The artist says of the new paintings, “Life is good. There is no end to this quixotic exploration of the human condition through painting. At 80, I am still learning and vitally curious about what painting images on a flat surface may reveal. This being an odyssey where the destination is beyond reach, we are left to savor the most exotic of journeys.”

Paul Harmon is an internationally exhibited artist who divided his time between studio/residences in Paris, France, and Brentwood, Tennessee from 1986 to early 1998. His time abroad still plays a role in his work. Paul was chosen in 1981 to represent the U.S. in the Bienal de Arte, Medellin, Colombia, SA. In 1994 Harmon had a major exhibition at the invitation of the city of Caen, France. Curated by Galerie Déprez-Bellorget of Paris, the one-man exhibition was the official art presentation of the D-Day, 50th-anniversary remembrances. Paul Harmon is the recipient of many major international painting awards including the Prix de la Ville de Monaco and the Prix de la Société E.J.A. at the XXIV Prix International D’Art Contemporain de Monte-Carlo. Her Serene Highness, Princess Caroline of Monaco chose Harmon's painting Walking Man from the exhibition/competition for her private collection. The Principality of Monaco, in connection with the Prix de la Ville de Monaco, also commissioned a canvas for its permanent collection.

Harmon’s work is represented in galleries, museums, major corporate and private collections in Europe, Asia, and the USA. Collections include Tennessee State Museum, the Tampa Museum of Art, the George Bush Presidential Library, the Museum of the Principality of Monaco, and the city of Caen, France. Paul Harmon papers and digital images are collected at the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Two comprehensive books, Paul Harmon: Crossing Borders and Paul Harmon: Inner Voices have been created to document his work.

"Paul’s paintings are full of symbolism and narratives. His work evokes a sense of nostalgia within the contemporary visions that dance across the canvas, intriguing the viewer to figure out the whole story. The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is thrilled to again showcase the brilliant work of a seasoned artist who still experiments and searches the processes of painting and visual storytelling." says Terri Jordan, the Exhibits Curator at the Museum.

Odyssey will be on view through October 20. The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is located at the corner of Second and Commerce Streets in downtown Clarksville, Tennessee.