[‘Welcome to the Squishmas Market’ – a cartoon by Perry Harris.]
The new year will see two new exhibitions at Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery that feature two artists’ takes on city society and at different periods of history.
The main gallery will feature ‘Mirror of Mirth: Rowlandson & Nixon Satirise Bath’ which explores the late 18th-century satire of Thomas Rowlandson and John Nixon who followed the great and the good to this spa resort to lay bare – through their caricatures – ‘ the follies and foibles not only of Georgian high society but the lower echelons bobbing in their wake as well. ‘
That’s from January 24th through to April 21st.
However, my guest today has a more modest free exhibition – on view at roughly the same time – in the shop and ticket desk area. It’s entitled “Essence of Bath.”
Perry Harris is a local cartoonist and landscape artist who also enjoys creating witty, colourful and often surreal impressions of the city and its life.
Perry came to Bath to study art and meet his future wife. He also sort of drifted into a long-lasting job as school caretaker at The Royal High in the city.
You can be sure they have benefited every Christmas from his artistic talents in creating their official greetings card!
‘Perry Harris: Essence of Bath’ runs from January 14th to April 13th and is open from 10.30 am through to 5 pm each day.
Having checked on the school boiler, Perry paid an early visit to Wyatt’s Place to tell me more about his life.
You can follow Perry on Instagram at uhperry
