Paul Harvey (artist)
Paul Harvey | |
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Born |
Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom | May 7, 1960
Nationality | English |
Education | North Staffordshire Polytechnic |
Known for | Painting |
Notable work | The Stuckists Punk Victorian, Charles Saatchi, Madonna |
Movement | Stuckism |
Paul Harvey (born 7 May 1960) is a British musician and Stuckist artist, whose work was used to promote the Stuckists' 2004 show at the Liverpool Biennial.[1] His paintings draw on pop art and the work of Alphonse Mucha,[2] and often depict celebrities, including Madonna.[2][3]
Life and career
Paul Harvey was born in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. He attended Burton Grammar School (1971–78) and North Staffordshire Polytechnic (1978–82) for Foundation Art and BA (Hons) Design.[1] In 1982 he moved to London and played in post-punk bands including Happy Refugees; in 1986 he moved to Newcastle to join Pauline Murray's band.[1] During this time, he co-published-and-drew Mauretania Comics with comics artist Chris Reynolds, and also taught graffiti art.[1]
![](../I/m/Paul_Harvey%2C_The_Stuckists_Punk_Victorian.jpg)
In 2001, he became a full-time lecturer in graphic design at North Tyneside College (now Tyne Metropolitan College, within The Creative Studios department). The same year, he joined the Stuckism art group, founding a Newcastle branch.[1] In 2002, he joined Murray's re-formed punk band Penetration; he curated the show, Stuck in Newcastle, at the Newcastle Arts Centre,[1] and was a joint winner of the Stuckists Real Turner Prize Show 2002.[4]
He showed with the group at the Wednesbury Museum in 2003.[5] 2003–2005, he gained an MA in Fine Art Practice at the University of Northumbria.[1][5] In 2004, he was the Stuckist co-curator with Hiroko Oshima of the Ryu Art Group of the show, Members Only: the Artist Group in Japan and Britain,[1] which took place at the Bailiffgate Museum, Alnwick.
![](../I/m/Paul_Harvey%2C_Charles_Saatchi.jpg)
He was a featured artist in The Stuckists Punk Victorian show at the Walker Art Gallery for the 2004 Liverpool Biennial,[6] His painting of artist and model Emily Mann was used to promote the show. The painting was based on a photograph of Mann by Charles Thomson and was originally intended to promote the Stuckists Real Turner Prize Show 2003: at that time the placard contained the text, "Serota needs a good spanking".[1]
However, according to Harvey, another artist Gina Bold "got really angry and started a debate about the S&M/fetish allusion. She got really pissed off with me because I didn’t agree with her. Then it got a bit nasty—the whole thing was just daft. Then the show got cancelled—and it had all been a complete waste of my fucking time."[1] He later repainted the placard with a woman's face, and it was used in this form for the Walker show.[1]
In 2006, he was one of the ten "leading Stuckists"[7] in the Go West exhibition at Spectrum London gallery. In 2007, he was in the show, I Won't Have Sex with You as Long as We're Married, at the A Gallery.[8]
In 2008, he was commissioned by Job cigarette papers to create a set of campaign posters with a stylistic reference to Alphonse Mucha, who had created earlier paintings for the firm.[9] Harvey made works featuring famous double acts to emphasise the sales message of "The Original Double", a reference to the twin-size packets of papers made by Job.[9] Harvey's enthusiasm for the project came about because "Mucha is one of his heroes", said Mark Ross, the director of Glorious Creative agency managing the campaign.[9] The work created some controversy:[10] Gilbert and George gave their endorsement to the images, but The Mighty Boosh and The White Stripes were not pleased to be featured.[10] Famous Doubles, a show of the original paintings used for the posters, was promoted at the Wanted Gallery in Notting Hill by Fraser Kee Scott, director of the A Gallery.[10][11]
In 2009, his painting of Charles Saatchi was banned from the window display of the Artspace Gallery in Maddox Street, London, on the grounds that it was "too controversial for the area".[2][12] It was the centrepiece of the show, Stuckist Clowns Doing Their Dirty Work, the first exhibition of the Stuckists in Mayfair,[2] and showed Saatchi with a sheep at his feet and a halo made from a cheese wrapper.[13] The Saatchi Gallery said that Saatchi "would not have any problem" with the painting's display.[13] The gallery announced they were shutting down the show.[2] Harvey said:
- I did it to make Saatchi look friendly and human. It's a ludicrous decision because it's not even a controversial painting. It's just Dairylea cheese and a sheep and some lemons, because he likes lemonade.[13]
The Stuckists considered legal action,[14] and co-ordinated, on the event's Facebook page, a campaign of emails to the gallery,[15] which agreed to exhibit the painting in the window and to continue the show.[15]
As of 2010, Harvey is researching a PhD on Stuckism at Northumbria University.[15]
Paintings
![](../I/m/Paul_Harvey%2C_Madonna.jpg)
His images are often derived from pictures of film and singing "stars" in magazines, and reworked into a new context. His style references pop art and Alfons Mucha.[2] The incorporation of modern symbols poses an ambiguity as to the amount of irony present, though the artist has claimed that he does not intend this.[16] Possibly his best-known work is a painting of the singer Madonna. The elements mentioned are clearly visible, with small dumbbells around the border, for example Madonna, contrasting with Art Nouveau curves and languidity.
![](../I/m/Paul_Harvey%2C_Ford_Anglia_with_Tent_and_Giotto_Tree.jpg)
He has described his work as strong line defining flat areas of colour, "dealing with ideas of beauty and decoration" and often appropriating images from art history and popular culture.[5]
He describes his methodology: "I use photographs but change the composition on a computer. I project onto canvas, trace the masses with a blue pencil, paint the details freehand with a sable brush, and the larger areas two to four times (for opacity) with Japanese or decorator’s brushes. I often change figures to get it right. I paint incessantly at home—paintings take up to three months."[1]
Gallery
- Punk Victorian
- I Won't Have Sex with You as long as We're Married
- Stuckism 1999–2006
- Kino VIII
- Paintings at The Stuckists Summer Show, Stuckism International Gallery, 2003
- Banner outside the Walker Art Gallery, 2004
- Banner outside the Lady Lever Art Gallery, 2004
- Paintings (first section on the right) at The Stuckists Punk Victorian, 2004
Notes and references
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Milner, Frank ed. The Stuckists Punk Victorian, p.74, National Museums Liverpool 2004. ISBN 1-902700-27-9
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Charles Saatchi painting gets Stuckists shut down", Spoonfed Media, 25 August 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ↑ http://www.spoonfed.co.uk/artist/exhibitions-1429/paul-harvey-8531/ Harvey's works often feature celebrities such as Madonna or Emily Mann and stylistically owe a debt both to Pop Art and to the Czech Art Nouveau painter Alfons Mucha.
- ↑ Prudames, David. "The Real Turner Prize 2002", Culture 24. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
- 1 2 3 Buckman, David. Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945: Volume 1, p. 694, Art Dictionaries, Bristol, 2006. ISBN 0-9532609-5-X
- ↑ "The Stuckists Punk Victorian", Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
- ↑ "Go West", The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 March 2008.
- ↑ "I Won't Have Sex with You as long as We're Married", stuckism.com. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
- 1 2 3 Fahy, Michael. "Zig Zag has a new paper round", Crain's Manchester Business, 16 June 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- 1 2 3 "Famous doubles", 3:AM Magazine, 19 October 2009. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ↑ The Wanted Gallery has since been renamed GG Gallery
- ↑ "Mr Saatchi in the frame", Evening Standard, 24 August 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- 1 2 3 Wilkinson, Tara Loader."Mayfair divided over Charles Saatchi cheese painting", Dow Jones, 26 August 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ↑ Kay, Richard. "Robert Hanson's X-rated lawsuit", Daily Mail, 26 August 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- 1 2 3 Carmichael, Kim. "Painting by North East artist sparks row in art world", The Journal, 28 August 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ↑ "Paul Harvey: Nigella Lawson painting interview", stuckism.com. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
External links
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