For the past two decades Lee Harnden has been a respected figure in the Australian graffiti community, pushing boundaries stylistically with his pieces and signature characters. But alongside his graffiti practice Lee is also an accomplished oil painter, rendering brutally honest portraits that showcase his talent as a fine artist. We caught some time with Lee before the opening of his latest solo show ‘Catharsis’ to talk about the divide between graffiti and the gallery, and how he found his identity as an artist.
Hey Lee, how’d you get started in art?
Like a lot of kids I began in pre-school throwing paint over big sheets of butcher paper, drawing and painting guns and tanks, and I guess it just snowballed from way back then.
Your work is strongly figurative, where do you find your subject matter?
Currently I’m painting a series of portraits of people that have come into my life and had some impact on me in some way shape or form. This is important for me as sure I could paint a lot more famous people but I don’t have a connection with them, no story, but when I do a portrait of my homie JAKE BIZ who in my eyes is a gentleman and a scholar and a down right good mate that has more purpose! I’m essentially taking people from my surrounding and hanging them in gallery because they might not be rich or famous but in my eyes they are worth a portrait and to be shown to the world.
What attracts you to portraiture?
I remember when I opened my first Hype magazine and saw a portrait by Broke aka Exit. I was blown away and was like “How the fuck did he do that with a spray can?”. From that moment on I wanted to paint shit that grabbed the audience attention the way that character grabbed me.
As I began painting characters I realized they had more impact on the wider audience then just a traditional graffiti lettering, so then I began doing both. As time has gone on I guess my characters on the wall have just evolved onto canvas.
You’re also well known in graffiti circles, when did you start painting walls?
A major point which would alter the direction of my art was when I was visiting Brisbane back in ’92 I caught a train on the Caboolture line and I was exposed to all the tracksides. I returned home and shortly after a friend of mine handed me the bible “HYPE MAGAZINE” in English class and within a few weeks I painted my first piece. The exposure to the tracksides and Hype Magazine would ultimately change the course of my art forever and my journey with graffiti art began. This year marks my twentieth year writing.
How do you balance your graffiti practice with your fine art practice?
To be honest I don’t get out and paint graffiti as much as I did when I was younger or as much as I would like too. Unfortunately graffiti doesn’t pay the rent so I got to get my hustle on. But for me it’s equally important to keep both going and keep some balance.
Now that more and more graffiti writers are crossing over into the gallery scene is it important for you to keep that separate?
I like to keep them separate these days, I seem to function better when I know I’m doing one or the other. When I’m going to do a graffiti piece I get in that frame of mind and I run over what I got to do. With an oil painting, obviously the act of doing it is quite different but I get myself in the frame of mind that I’m creating an oil painting so I apply myself to that medium and all I have learnt. I like graffiti in the streets, not in a gallery now, but each to there own I guess.
What’s your fine art painting process like?
For me it’s more than just painting, for me everything about the process is thought of. Getting my frames built, using decent canvas or linen, stretching them properly, then I move onto my subject. In this case, with these portraits I’m doing, I like to use my own reference so I’ll take my own photo and I try and capture what I find interesting, and I would like to show my viewer. Each painting has its own little story behind it I guess.
What pushes you?
People that say you can’t, and the fact that I have been fortunate enough to have been given a talent and I don’t want to be one of those wasted talent stories you hear of so often.
Do you want more recognition in the gallery scene?
More recognition is obviously better in the gallery scene but for me it’s about staying true to my art and not being moulded to fit into a market. I like to be recognised for doing what I do and not what someone else wanted. I read once a few years ago that “if you stay true to your art good things will come” so I think of this often.
What’s coming up next for you?
I got a big show planned for Melbourne early next year, so stay tuned.
Any shout outs?
First and foremost my main man DCIDE for helping me get this show off the ground and the brute force of good mates behind me- The IRONLAK FAMILY, 750 REBS, TREMA, PROWLS, JOHNNY ROW, CHUBBA, SMIZLA, LOKUS, L-FLOWS, KINROSS, KINGZ KONEKTED, BLENDER, ANGLOW, WTCS, DTS, F1, AEON, PILFER, PUDL, PHIBS, SAM HILLCOAT
‘Catharsis’ opens tonight – 17th of August – at Lightspace Gallery, Brisbane.
www.leeharnden.com