Transformer
Transformer
Signed Print
Conor Harrington
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94 x 70cm, Edition of 60, Screenprint
Medium: Screenprint
Edition size: 60
Year: 2016
Size: H 94cm x W 70cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
Last Auction: December 2018
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Meaning & Analysis
Transformer (2016) is a signed screen print representing the complex ways in which Conor Harrington’s art interrogates cultural stereotypes and contemporary images of masculinity. The work depicts a male figure with a Venetian mask, a motif that holds a consistent presence in the Irish artist’s prints from 2016 onwards. Similarly to Hide and Seek (2016), Grab Your Guise (2016), and Study For Hide & Seek (2018), the man in this print dominates the image as he appears by himself against a colourful background composed from patches of yellow and olive green paint.
Dressed in a red frock coat, a middle-aged man is seen looking worriedly at the mask in his hands. While vivid lines on his forehead and frowned eyebrows reveal the emotion of distress, an unexpected patch of paint between the eyes and the mouth makes it difficult for the viewer to fully scrutinise the man’s face. The depicted scene might take place after the performance, in which case the actor’s dramatic look at the Venetian mask symbolises a moment of reflecting upon his craft. Considering Harrington’s interest in cultural stereotypes, the representation also leans towards a moment of self-reflection, one in which the subject ponders the blurred line between life and performance.
Irish-born artist, Conor Harrington, transcends artistic boundaries with his dynamic visual language. Born in 1980, Harrington seamlessly melds classical painting styles with more contemporary, abstract techniques. His monumental works weave narratives around gender, identity and social commentary, whilst his visual language brings together the old and the new, and draws parallels between cultural issues that transcend time. Harrington's bold strokes combined with subtle detail provoke introspection and have the ability to command attention in both urban and gallery spaces. This unique fusion of street and canvas cements Harrington's legacy in the urban art scene.
