Meet Harry Pack: Psychedelic Surrealist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Harry Pack and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Harry, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always been making art and since i was young have been lucky enough to have a few people telling me to keep it up. ive always enjoyed the end result, finishing a piece and thinking of the journey and process ive just been through in making it, mulling over what ive learnt or what i could do better next time. It’s not been easy and i’ve found myself asking “what’s the point?” on a few occasions. It has taken a while to find a central style to work with as i am easily fascinated and find influence in most things i see, hear or read. I feel deeply connected to my art, it tells my story for me. Sometimes it feels like a multi-levelled board game, with the prize being a piece I am happy with, which i see as a new member of the “family”. Some of the earlier images i drew when i was younger are more relevant to me now than when they were made, which probably comes down to my understanding of the progression of my work. I am very inquisitive and am always looking out for patterns and sequences in life and I find being creative allows me to reproduce these in an image format, kind of like a puzzle that has to be solved. I studied abstract painting at school which i found and still find very therapeutic and have always enjoyed surrealism, for its dreamlike qualities, and the psychedelic scene, because there is so much innovation. It is a breeding ground for new ideas. One of the first paintings I felt drawn to was Metamorphosis of Narcissus by Dali. I felt completely absorbed and fascinated by his use of colour and how bizarre the content was. It was like i had been sucked into his world. I always recognised him as a loner and saw something beautiful in that. Art is essential to me, I can’t imagine what I’d be doing without it. It has become the platform from which i operate. I am always surprised when drawing as i never know what will appear and i have found the more i make, the closer i get to having some control over the outcome. Maybe one day i will have a clue what i am doing but not at the moment.   

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I make psychedelic drawings which depict another dreamlike world full of all kinds of strange entities and weird happenings. I am trying to create my own dimension where things are more like what I would like them to be, full of strange beings detached from repetition and the ordinary. I try and push every detail of my work into something different whether it be design, content or colour formation so that it engages the viewer in the same way that I am engaged whilst making it. I get really absorbed in the process of making each piece and find they follow me about through the day in my head, as if they are using this reality to allow me to understand which direction to go in next. i start most of my work with no idea of what i am drawing, it just happens and then seems to formulate itself. Each piece has a huge effect on me and i learn all sorts of weird things about myself. I use it as a gauge to understand the clarity of my thinking and how i might improve that. I am currently playing around with digital drawing for the first time as an experiment to see how it translates which ive found immensely satisfying so far as it means any mistakes are easier to fix and i can relax a lot more, moving from one image to another at ease. It has also freed up a lot of time as i can now draw anywhere i like and i have an unlimited supply of colour. The only down point to this is the connection when putting pen to paper is lost and ive found something much more personal about the art being made that way. I take inspiration from a wide variety of sources. Primarily from music, although spending too much time on video games when i was much younger, this played a large part as I found myself imagining all the games i would design when i was older. I read a lot and have always been interested in surrealism and psychedelia, tribal art and indigenous cultures. Reading about other artists has been imperative. I am currently making my way through ‘George Condo – Painting Reconfigured’ and ‘Keith Haring (Rizzoli Classics)’. They are two of my favourite artists. I enjoy learning about spirituality, taking bits and pieces from all faiths and applying what i can to my practice. I have had to be persistent, as have most artists. There have been moments of doubt where I thought id pack it in and try and find a “normal” career (as some like to call it) but i don’t fit in anywhere else. I believe i am doing what i was put on this planet to do. I have found over time that ive had to adapt to different places ive lived and scenarios ive found myself in in order to continue creating but have always found a way to persevere. Visiting galleries was essential for me as it allowed me to understand the dynamics of exhibiting and i research a lot of artists online to stay inspired when I can’t get out. One thing i haven’t done a lot of is keep sketchbooks, this was mainly because i like to get things done first time and felt like i was wasting precious time when i could be working on the real thing. I wouldn’t recommend this though, its just how i work and has played a large part in how my style has developed. It has consumed time though through fear of making errors and i sometimes have to think 4-5 steps ahead before making the next marks. I also find passing on what I learn to others really helps me to understand it better myself. It allows me to re-learn and turn over whatever it is a few more times. It also makes me feel less absorbed in the pictures which can be useful as it’s so easy to get stuck into something without taking breaks and feel the need to return to reality. Nothing beats being told you’ve helped someone else out either, nice to feel useful for something.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live halfway between London and Bristol at the moment which is really quite I live halfway between London and Bristol at the moment which is really quite quiet and rural and don’t spend a lot of time in cities so I’d probably take them to Glastonbury and the surrounding area or Cornwall as there’s so much to see and do. Loads of great sites to visit along the coast and smaller galleries with local artists and a lot of history. It’s a bit of a drive to get there but that’s half the fun. I find the countryside and outdoor activities way more interactive than the city.    The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It would have to be my family as they have shown me unconditional love and support throughout my life, through some pretty difficult times. My mum always nudged me to keep on drawing since I was very young. She made me aware that i could draw, I wouldn’t have known otherwise. My dad inspires me daily with his get it done attitude. He has always pushed me to be more proactive and is always offering support. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here anymore. My brother George is an incredibly talented and knowledgeable cabinet maker and ive always wanted to craft my skill in the way he has with his, and Ferg my younger brother is always encouraging me and giving the most amazing feedback. They have all kept me in check over the years and I am feel incredibly lucky.

With regards to art, my friend Josh Bowe is a big inspiration to me. He is one of the most prolific artists i know and has always been available to give advice or inspiration. Check out his work at www.artbyjoshbowe.com . He’s one of those artists who just always seems to be making more and more and deepening his understanding of why he paints. I find all of his work fascinating. I can’t recommend checking him out enough. 

Website: www.harrypackart.com

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