-
Hide and Seek
-
Transformer
Exhibition
Conor Harrington
15 Sep 2016 – 9 Oct 2016
Regular hours
- Thursday
- 10:00 – 18:00
- Friday
- 10:00 – 18:00
- Monday
- 10:00 – 18:00
- Tuesday
- 10:00 – 18:00
- Wednesday
- 10:00 – 18:00
Address
- 6-10 Lexington Street
- London
England - W1F 0LB
- United Kingdom
Conor Harrington (b. in Cork Ireland, 1980) is one of the most important and prolific painters of today’s generation. His paintings, drawings, and films have been the subject of seven solo and over 15 group shows since 2006. Harrington works and lives in London.
About
London— HENI and Pace London are pleased to announce an exhibition of new work by Irish-born painter Conor Harrington. The exhibition, featuring ten new paintings will be on view from 15 September to 8 October 2016 at at 6-10 Lexington Street.
The exhibition coincides with the publication of the first major monograph of Harrington’s practice, Conor Harrington: Watch Your Palace Fall by HENI Publishing.
Harrington’s vivid work draws inspiration from classical painting, combining realistic brushstrokes with the raw energy of abstraction. Using large-scale canvas and city walls, Harrington’s scenes often depict dreamlike battles featuring military-inspired characters reminiscent of Renaissance imagery. The exhibition, presented in Soho, continues the artist’s exploration of themes related to the human body, conflicts and gender roles.
“These paintings are a nod to political deceit, the lies and half truths told to assume a role and gain power, the prevalence of social media selves at the expense of the real self and the graffiti alter ego, acquiring a pseudonym and hiding your true identity.” – Conor Harrington, August 2016.
The perpetual cycle of power chasing, and the struggle for dominance are further explored in Sluggers Paradise (2016), a large diptych featuring a tug of war and coloured to represent the classic blue and red of opposing political parties. The larger than life characters drenched in fields of bright colours blend with traditional corners of a boxing ring while referencing North American gang culture at the same time. Harrington has become captivated with colour as a means of marking allegiance through nationalist elements including flags and uniforms.
The golden mask, one of the recurring metaphors of Harrington’s visual language, enhances the narrative of the classical portrait becoming at times completely buffed in the assumption of an alter ego.
The monograph Conor Harrington: Watch Your Palace Fall, published 27 October 2016 by HENI Publishing, features more than 150 works by the artist, a new essay by curator Jane Neal and an informal Q&A between Harrington and journalist JJ O’Donoghue. A book launch event will be hosted on Sunday 2 October 2016 to celebrate the publication’s exclusive early availability throughout the exhibition’s duration.
