In profile: Harry Scoging Beer

by Clea Guy Allen

There is a stillness in the air as we walk through the giant warehouse that 23-year-old Harry Scoging Beer, is currently using as his studio space. The whole place smells like sawdust and paraffin heaters.

After walking up a small staircase at the back of the building, Beer explains that it is actually his dad’s carpentry workshop, but he has been given the space to use whilst he is waiting to move into a new property.

"It's funny, though, because you get all these manly men coming up being like (mock voice) "ahh, what you painting there son", and I'm like "not too sure yet".”

He graduated from Chelsea in 2009 after studying a BA in fine art. Since leaving the security of being a student, Beer has become part of an artist-led gallery called The Sunday Painter. He is one of three founders - the other two are both graduates from Camberwell.

The Sunday Painter began as a live project by William Jarvis and Tom McParland of Camberwell. The idea was for them to set up the project and then document it instead of handing in a dissertation at the end of the year.

Beer explains: "It started off in a pub function room that we converted and then it has moved on to where it is now, we have a property set up for the beginning of next year where we are going to have our own base and put on more shows and then hopefully take it further."

It is obvious from his demeanor that he isn't comfortable talking about himself or his work, however you can tell he is proud of the gallery and believes in its purpose. "It's a way of giving some control back to the artists, instead of sitting around hoping that someone was going to want to show your work in their gallery, the best way to do it is to start up your own."

Making a name

The Sunday Painter - a term used to describe someone or an artist that does work in their spare time, as opposed to as a career - was only set up a year ago but is already starting to make a name for itself.

Beer admits that, like most people that find themselves in a position to be able to help others, they started off with their own peer group, inviting people that they thought were producing good work to get involved with the gallery, enabling them to put on their own shows and hopefully drum up some attention for themselves.

Himself a recent graduate, he understands how difficult it can be trying to make something of yourself in the art world. "Since leaving Chelsea I have just been trying to work, trying to find a property and trying to find a job, it's not easy."

When asked if he viewed himself as unemployed of self-employed, considering his involvement with the gallery, the answer was still categorically: "unemployed, but definitely not on benefits".

Although the gallery has only been on the ground for a year, the group recently gained attention in the press after they took part in Hannah Barry's Bold Tendencies, which managed to achieve global coverage. It consisted of a sculpture park exhibition set up by Barry in July of this year which showcased, not only her own work, but also that of other artists.

The exhibition was held over two floors of a redundant car park in Peckham and was featured in many UK publications and was also written about in The New York Times - due to the cafe and restaurant bar that was opened on the roof during the exhibition.

The Sunday Painter had its spot on the lower level of the car park and Barry credited the group saying that there was "a particular spirit" amongst the artists.

Beer would like to see their gallery receiving the same coverage in the years that follow. He is keen to broaden the galleries intake of exhibitors. For, although he believes in the work of his local peer group, he also believes it would benefit the gallery if there were a wider variety of artists showcasing their work.

South London talent

"There are so many great creatives out there, we are trying to look to the future and expand on what we already know". When thinking about areas in London that are known for their creativity and art movements people tend not to think of Peckham, but Hackney.

In the last decade or so that is where many artists tend to have come from or where they base their exhibitions and studios, however in recent years Peckham has started to show a great potential for taking the crown for grass-root art movements.

"There has always been that connection to Hackney when people look back at ‘the great art emergence’, but there are three big art universities, like Goldsmiths and Camberwell, around Peckham and there are a lot of students that are doing their own thing trying to make a name for themselves so I think that could all change. Also Peckham is relatively inexpensive and there is nothing like big cheap open spaces to bring artists flocking."

So, does he miss being a student? "I didn't at first but I miss the security of it, you can wake up at 12 and think like "oh it's alright I'm a student" but it changes when you're not because you have to go out and earn money and it's quite daunting. At the same time though, I am enjoying having to do things off my own back."

The problem with an art degree is that, especially in times of economic instability, the lessons you were taught about how to price your work and how to sell pieces may become slightly redundant as the art world is hit especially hard when the countries economy is suffering.

With this in mind should art universities teach the business side of setting up on your own? "I don't think so no, although it's not like buying a house and you do need to know quite a lot, it's part of life isn't it? Learning about all this stuff wouldn't suit all people because not everyone goes on to set up their own galleries, people do different things with their degrees."

The next Level

One can tell that Beer is ready for the next stage of his graduate life to begin, "Being in this space is all well and good, particularly good because it is free, but I'm just waiting now for us to make the move into our next property." The boys have taken out a five year lease on a building in Peckham that will comprise of 12 artist studios and an exhibition area.

"It's quite a big space but also manageable, the only reason we are letting artist studios is to be able to afford to hold the gallery area or else there would be no point. We don't want to become landlords of a big studio complex because if you are not careful that can turn into a full time job which isn't what any of us want, we thought 12 was enough without being to over ambitious."

Their aim is to have the studios opened in January, which will facilitate the opening of The Sunday Painter gallery in February. "We are currently looking for people to move in to the spaces, we have built up a small following already, which is great, so hopefully it will go on from there," Beer concedes.

The guys have a facebook page, and a website is "under construction" as well as a blog that documents all the work they have been doing and pictures from the exhibitions they have held and been part of.

"We will all have our own studios in the building because, after all, having a gallery helps us too. We are ultimately struggling artists ourselves so anything we can do to get our names out there is good business sense."

His work is an exploration into the blurring of the concrete and the virtual, he constructs spaces that don't exist and tries to invent a reality that isn't there by making the space come to life and become real.

He sees his work as ever-changing though and draws inspiration from things that are around him such as films and photography and ideas as opposed to working from things directly.

"I was lucky at my degree show because I managed to sell all of my paintings bar one and hopefully, because of the gallery, it will make moving work out a lot easier."

With all this in mind, then, it would be fair guesstimate that this is not the last time we hear of Harry Scoging Beer.

 

See also: Getting to know you: Harry Scoging Beer