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.
