Johnny Charles Harris @ Big Mouth Coffee Company
"See a painting you like the look of? How much do you want to pay? Hundred quid? Tenner? A pound? Pay whatever you want," says imaginative – and brave – artist Johnny Charles Harris.
It’s a risky and bold move by the Glasgow-based artist, who’s never been one to shy away from a challenge. He’s lived a colourful life so far: growing up in the North of England, he spent some time living in Harlem, co-founded a charity in Africa, climbed Mont Blanc – the highest mountain in the Alps – and now finds himself in a coffee shop in Glasgow giving away his work for whatever price the punter wants to pay.
Similar to a blind auction, if you see something you like, offer a price, and if someone else doesn’t come along with a higher bid then it’ll be yours. You don’t have to stay the entire night (the artist will get back in touch to let you know the outcome) but there’ll be free wine and live music, so it might be worth sticking around for a good night’s craic anyway.
It’s a fresh method he’s using to sell his work. How many artists allow the buyer to dictate the price? The exhibition launch night, then, should be a fun and interesting event. It’s taking place at Big Mouth coffee shop in Glasgow’s West End – a trendy, cosy joint with eclectic décor and a community feel, thanks in part to the regular exhibitions hosted there. Harris, who has a studio at Glasgow’s Studio Warehouse – also known as SWG3 – and who plays the odd open mic night in the city, is the latest local artist to line the café’s walls.
The paintings themselves are mainly acrylic on canvas, with bright, bold colours throughout, and a strong Pop Art feel. The body of work has an attractive, edgy look that would fit in with many a modern-day home. Indeed Harris chose the intimate and lively café on Dumbarton Road because of its homely feel, and that’s where he sees his paintings having a place – in the home.
"I'm aiming for the work to be able to be taken at face value, and be pleasing to the eye," he explains. "But if you scratch a little bit deeper, you reveal other layers of themes and ideas."
Beneath the incandescent surface of his paintings, a strong anti-commerce thread runs through. Spoof slogans pervade the work, in a bold attempt to parody the taglines advertisers use to lure the masses.
The artist is mockingly using his own tagline – "Pay Whatever You Want" – treating his art like a commodity to be sold for a quick buck. Ironically, he’s highlighting the insatiable appetite in our consumer culture to sell products – a process he sees as shedding work of its value and individuality.
It’s heavy stuff. But a down-to-earth and personable guy, Harris' work has a playful tone, poking fun at consumerism rather than being judgemental. It should be a lively and thought-provoking launch night, and well worth a visit.