PAUL HARVEY Guitarist in punk band Penetration, college lecturer, safe driver
7.5.60 Born Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire 1971-78 Burton Grammar School 1978-82
North Staffordshire Polytechnic: Foundation Art, BA (Hons) Design 1982-85 Moved
to London. In post-punk bands. Worked at Our Price and Forbidden Planet 1986-2000
Moved to Newcastle to join Pauline Murray's band. Co-published Comics. Taught
graffiti art. 2001- Founded The Newcastle Stuckists. Full-time lecturer Art
and Design, North Tyneside College. 2002 Curated Stuck in Newcastle, Newcastle
Arts Centre. Joined Penetration 2003 Started MA in Fine Art Practice, University
of Northumbria 2004 Stuckist Co-curator Members Only: the Artist Group in Japan
and Britain with Hiroko Oshima, Ryu Art Group "You don't think it's tempting
fate, saying 'safe driver'? I don't want to die in a horrible accident. Why
don't you write 'genius whose talent hasn't been fully recognised'?" Partial
to scallops and oysters, obtained by his builder from a secret location in Scotland.
Drives to Hull estuary because "I like to go where there isn't anything." Obsessive
timekeeper. Pessimistic England supporter. Genius whose talent hasn't been fully
recognised. The Stuckists Punk Victorian "Originally to promote Stuckists Real
Turner Prize Show 2003 - the placard said 'SEROTA NEEDS A GOOD SPANKING'. The
figure was from a photo of Emily Mann taken for me by Charles Thomson. Then
a guest artist, Gina Bold, who was his girlfriend, 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. But the painting didn't matter - I was much more upset about
the situation with Gina. Everything seemed a mess. Months later I got excited
about the Walker show title and repainted the placard. The painting is like
a phoenix from the ashes. It would be nice if Gina finally saw it - and liked
it. "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."
Page 74
Gina Bold on p.23