Collection > Harrington, Conor

Conor Harrington hails from Cork in Ireland. His work is an incredibly successful collusion between fine art and street techniques.

According to Conor himself, central to his oil canvasses is "the male figure, referring to the masculinity of urban culture". The men in Conor's paintings allude to the not necessarily heroic, but stoic and pensive male of the modernist painters; however the pieces are plastered with post-modern graffito flourishes in a pertinent clash of styles – "I'm interested in the dynamics between opposing elements" says the artist. Whilst both the male figures and abstract elements of the work are unarguably contemporary, the emotions they transmit are timeless, if currently under-rated: dignity, courage and a quiet sense of duty to oneself and those around us. At a time when men are accused of being somehow redundant within society Conor's work is an intelligent and modest reminder of their positive emotional contribution. It also shows that graff doesn't have to shock – or be soppy – to have substance.

Solo shows -

Headless Heroes, Lazarides, London, 2009

Chasing Castles (with Chloe Early), Kinsey/Desforges, Los Angelas, US, 2009

Weekend Warriors, Lazarides, London, 2008

Said The Hero to the Thief, Lazarides , Newcastle, 2008

See-Saw, Lazarides, London, 2006

Quiet Riot, Stolenspace, 2006

Represent!, Tigh Fili, Cork, Ireland, 2004

Liquid Identitly (with Marianne Keating), UCC, Cork, Ireland, 2003

Group Shows -

Hell’s Half Acre, Lazarides/Tunnel 228, London 2010

Eurotrash, Lazarides Beverly Hills, LA, 2010

Inside Paul Smith, Daelim Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea, 2010

The Outsiders, The New Art Gallery, Walsall, 2008

The Outsiders, 282-284 Bowery NY, US, 2008

Fame, Studio Cromie, Grottaglie, Italy, 2008

The Outsiders, Lazarides, London, 2008

The Laz Extravaganza, Lazarides, London, 2008

Opening Show, Lazarides, Newcastle, 2008

Summer Show, Oisin Gallery, Dublin, Ireland, 2007

Summer Show, Stolenspace, London, 2007

BMG Annual, BLK/MRKT Gallery, LA, US, 2007

Swish, Lazarides, London, 2006

Stench, Lazarides, London, 2006

Natural Selection, Alsopp Contemporary, London, 2005

Fiends, Outside Institute, London, 2005

Hard Bodies, Arndean Gallery, London, 2005

In Transit, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, 2004

Artists at the NSC, NSC, Cork, Ireland, 2003

Artist Conor Harrington, was born in Cork, Ireland in 1980. He lives and works in London with his girlfriend, Chloe Early, also a painter. Conor drinks the big pints and Chloe drinks the little ones.

Conor Harrington
L'Amour et La Violence
Oil on canvas
72 x 96 inches
2013