Image: Compass Gallery, Glasgow
Set in the fictional Scottish town of Kilmarning, the paintings observe and tell a rich story of community life. The town provides the setting for works concerned with the lives and narratives of its community, as presented through Harper’s paintings.
The paintings are partly autobiographical and partly fictitious, with the line between the two blurred. Many of their narratives are based on real events from Harper’s life or the lives of people closest to him, albeit exaggerated and set in a new context.
The overarching themes in Harper’s work revolve around Scottish identity. He is also interested in parochial attitudes, collective folly and the absurdity of local ways of life.
The featured works include ‘Kilmarning United 2023-24 Away Strip’, ‘Singing at the Cows’, ‘Stramash’ and ‘Football Played at the Wrong Pitch’. The group also includes a series of acrylic cut-out figures. Harper graduated from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen in 2011, followed by further study at the Royal Drawing School in London. He has had solo exhibitions in the UK and USA, and his work has been included in mixed exhibitions in the UK, Europe and USA; he was awarded the Moth Art Prize in 2020.
