“Work from the bottom up” - Conor Harrington

Conor Harrington is a contemporary Irish artist known for his combination of classical painting and street art or graffiti influences. His paintings hit you, both in terms of scale and intensity of colour.

The Museum of Urban & Contemporary Art’s interview with him is quite the watch.

It is interesting to hear about his early work, where he divided his canvas into distinct areas because he felt the two styles were separate. Later, deciding to merge them together as his work developed, before finally removing some aspects that featured heavily in those early pieces. What I find interesting is how simple rules were established for a particular purpose but over time, those rules can be pushed and changed as an artist’s career, thought and skill develop. I think this is important because without some self-imposed rules (as well as some theoretical rules) starting the creative process is hard and can become very messy or chaotic quickly, without really producing anything with a theme or connection - that can be subject matter or aesthetic. This is certainly something that I wrestled with for at least a decade.

His later focus on political matters is also interesting because it suggests the earlier work with reenactors was more focused on the image than any deep message or meaning - but it got him painting a lot. Once he had mastered his technical craft it freed up thought and energy to add additional levels to his work. His nod to the History of Art through his chosen subject matter is also something that resonates with me and gives an almost limitless supply of inspiration and art historical references.

Having common themes or motifs is also something to consider and you can’t go wrong with flags - even better is the bunting.

Check Conor’s Instagram out HERE!