Conor Harrington

[Feral Things]

Conor Harrington recently posted this new piece on this Instagram with the following explanation:
"I wanted to create a government meeting scenario, where the world leaders are sitting around drinking and building a house of cards (representing government/power/empire etc) but an assassin has charged in to stage a coup. I like the way the colours of playing cards represent political parties (Tory/Labour, Republican/Democrat) and a lot of powerful Western nations have red and blue in their flag (UK,US,Russia,France)."

Does anyone know who the bust in the bottom left hand corner depicts and what it is that they represent in this painting?  

[Wearology]

Jul 15, 2013 17:33:45 GMT 1 Feral Things said:

Conor Harrington recently posted this new piece on this Instagram with the following explanation:
"I wanted to create a government meeting scenario, where the world leaders are sitting around drinking and building a house of cards (representing government/power/empire etc) but an assassin has charged in to stage a coup. I like the way the colours of playing cards represent political parties (Tory/Labour, Republican/Democrat) and a lot of powerful Western nations have red and blue in their flag (UK,US,Russia,France)."

Does anyone know who the bust in the bottom left hand corner depicts and what it is that they represent in this painting?  



Maybe the bust represents the religious & spiritual influence in government and society.

[whl10]

This is terrific

[Coach]

Utterly fabulous. Thanks for posting the picture.

[Feral Things]

Jul 15, 2013 17:45:14 GMT 1 Wearology said:

I hadn't thought of that but it could be a reference to the role that religious institutions have played in supporting and toppling regimes.  I had assumed that it was a particular moral philosopher and that Conor was referencing their particular ideas but it doesn't look like most of the images online for philosophers like Plato, Aristotle or Socrates.  My other thought was that it's referencing particular events, rather than ideas, like Julius Caesar getting stabbed in the back.

[alittle]

Hope he releases a print for the peasants.

[Bram]

this is truly one of the best pieces of art for a long long time

[BKBOI]

Jul 15, 2013 19:55:40 GMT 1 Bram said:

this is truly one of the best pieces of art for a long long time

This. hope it ends up a print.

[Gard]

This is a fantastic canvas. The picture doesn't do it justice, it's huge!

Not so different, but here's my picture of it.

[Feral Things]

Jul 15, 2013 20:09:18 GMT 1 Gard said:

Not so different, but here's my picture of it.

Where was this exhibited, Gard?  Or is this just hanging over your mantlepiece? 

[craigf]

It was on the first floor at Laz, large, stunning, but I am not sure about the Spitfires circling the card tower...

[Gard]

Jul 15, 2013 20:22:30 GMT 1 Feral Things said:

Jul 15, 2013 20:09:18 GMT 1 Gard said:

Not so different, but here's my picture of it.

Where was this exhibited, Gard?  Or is this just hanging over your mantlepiece? 

I wish! I'm hoping to get a Conor of this size one day. Let's just hope they don't raise the prices for a while...

[ABC]

Holy F, that is amazing

[letiss]

Jul 15, 2013 20:33:51 GMT 1 craigf said:

It was on the first floor at Laz, large, stunning, but I am not sure about the Spitfires circling the card tower...

I thought the spitfires were a Hamleys type of whimsical toy and I mean that in a good way. I interpret it that these guys have all kinds of play things that can do what they want. I particularly like this as I'm a big hold'em player, so would love this as a print. 

[Deleted]

Big fan of Conor but this piece is a bit of mess too me, not surprised that most mistake intricacy for a great piece though

[Coach]

Jul 15, 2013 22:57:49 GMT 1 @badrobot said:

Big fan of Conor but this piece is a bit of mess too me, not surprised that most mistake intricacy for a great piece though

A little condescending to say admirers of this painting are "mistaking" intricacy for a great painting. Surely it's a question of personal taste. I happen to be a fan of his work too and I admire this piece very much. I don't think I'm mistaken about anything. 
Mind you I haven't seen it other than in photos, unlike many of his other paintings. 

[ilmambo]

I remember seeing last year on Conor's webstite some pictures of the photoshoot he used as source for this series of paintings. Is there a gallery with all of them somewhere?

[Feral Things]

I think there was a video of the Dead Meat photoshoot but it'd be interesting to see all the photos collected together.

According to Conor on Instagram it is Julius Caesar and therefore presumably a further reference to assassinations, coups and the fall of regimes. At first I thought the Spitfires felt like a bit of a historical inaccuracy but given Conor's usual attention to detail, and without knowing their significance, I think it's hard to say if they are out of place. I think letiss 's reading of their meaning gives the painting another dimension.

[Deleted]

Jul 15, 2013 23:11:53 GMT 1 Coach said:

Jul 15, 2013 22:57:49 GMT 1 @badrobot said:

Big fan of Conor but this piece is a bit of mess too me, not surprised that most mistake intricacy for a great piece though

A little condescending to say admirers of this painting are "mistaking" intricacy for a great painting. Surely it's a question of personal taste. I happen to be a fan of his work too and I admire this piece very much. I don't think I'm mistaken about anything. 
Mind you I haven't seen it other than in photos, unlike many of his other paintings. 

Yes it's all personal taste. I love his work and hope to one day own some of his stuff. His talent and vision continue to show in this picture.

If Conor continues to produce works of art like this his fan base will grow and grow.

[Deleted]

Jul 15, 2013 23:11:53 GMT 1 Coach said:

Jul 15, 2013 22:57:49 GMT 1 @badrobot said:

Big fan of Conor but this piece is a bit of mess too me, not surprised that most mistake intricacy for a great piece though

A little condescending to say admirers of this painting are "mistaking" intricacy for a great painting. Surely it's a question of personal taste. I happen to be a fan of his work too and I admire this piece very much. I don't think I'm mistaken about anything. 
Mind you I haven't seen it other than in photos, unlike many of his other paintings. 

I know I know it was a throwaway comment apologies for the tone

My point was simply conor has thrown a lot at this painting and for me it doesn't stick .. Without seeing the piece in person it does look like the cards structure is just to large and unbalances the image.

[Coach]

Jul 15, 2013 23:49:22 GMT 1 @badrobot said:

Jul 15, 2013 23:11:53 GMT 1 Coach said:

A little condescending to say admirers of this painting are "mistaking" intricacy for a great painting. Surely it's a question of personal taste. I happen to be a fan of his work too and I admire this piece very much. I don't think I'm mistaken about anything. 
Mind you I haven't seen it other than in photos, unlike many of his other paintings. 

I know I know it was a throwaway comment apologies for the tone

My point was simply conor has thrown a lot at this painting and for me it doesn't stick .. Without seeing the piece in person it does look like the cards structure is just to large and unbalances the image.

Fair enough, my friend. 

[cdtomcat]

Is this still at Laz & does Conor have a show coming up? This is an insane piece of art

[Feral Things]

Jul 16, 2013 2:20:20 GMT 1 cdtomcat said:

Is this still at Laz & does Conor have a show coming up? This is an insane piece of art

On Twitter he wrote "The hardest part of my job is selecting which images from the photoshoot to paint. So far for 10 paintings I have a short list of 239 " I'd assumed that he's working on a new body of work for a show next year possibly, but that's just a guess.

[baenksy]

Looks amazing...i'll be going for the original painting ;-)

[Passion Art]

Jul 16, 2013 8:08:53 GMT 1 denada said:

Jul 16, 2013 2:20:20 GMT 1 cdtomcat said:

Is this still at Laz & does Conor have a show coming up? This is an insane piece of art

I think I read somewhere that Conor's next show will be in New York in 2014.

He's a great talent.

No way! Great news.

[letiss]

Do hope for Coach's sake that the title of the print isn't Conor's premier league prediction :-)

[Coach]

Jul 17, 2013 16:16:40 GMT 1 letiss said:

Do hope for Coach's sake that the title of the print isn't Conor's premier league prediction :-)

Haha! That's very clever letiss. 
Hoping for 4th from bottom at the end of the season.
See we are signing a spainish U20 international from Sevilla.
Be afriad!

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23322232

[luas]

A modern day 'Caravaggio' if there ever was one.

[connecta1]

...went to see this at lunchtime, a few more detailed shots:







Fantastic piece. Wondered what it was that made it feel a little different from the other Dead Meat work, I think it's the lack of gold leaf in the background which creates the impression it's a much darker palette

...apparently it won't be there much longer as it's just sold

[Ponyboy Curtis]

I think it's rather good personally.