Rather like the artistic equivalent of a cup of coffee and a cigarette, Conor Harrington uses the production of his Morning Glory studies to get his system moving, so to speak. Every day the Irishman goes through his routine at the East London studio he occupies, getting the artistic juices flowing with oil and spray paints on canvas, and the resulting miniatures form part of the wonderfully named collection A Whole Lot of Trouble for a Little Bit of Win, which hints at their importance and at the same time lends the forthcoming exhibition a country-blues coolness – just add an ‘e’ on the end for a perfect barstool song title.

Whether the works be details from forthcoming larger pieces, or just catalysts for ideas, the paintings are full of energy and movement largely due to the huge swathes of blurred oils Harrington employs, like cartoon dash-marks set against the realistic details of his characters. This collection looks at the rise of Eastern superpowers as they wrest control from the West. The Outsiders gallery on London’s Greek Street will form the arena for the power struggle from now until 16th March.

© Conor Harrington
Photography, Ian Cox