Bristol-based street artist James Mernagh, better known as Merny, relocated to the city following a period in Berlin, where he first began to apply himself to painting.
He has since exhibited across Europe and carved out a name for himself for the style, dark humour and subversive political commentary inherent in much of his work.
Encompassing a diverse range of recent pieces, his new week-long exhibition A Waste of Paint will be launching at 17 Midland Road in Old Market on July 12.
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Merny, Wake You Up When It’s Over, 2022
Merny, This is Not a Drill, 2023
How would you sum up this particular exhibition at 17 Midland Road?
“This exhibition will be a big pile of work that I’ve made over the last four years since I moved to Bristol. Full to the brim with weird diagrams, sarcastic jokes, colourful watercolours, photos of murals, and maybe even a wall hanging.
“The opening on July 12 should be a great big party with beer from Lost and Grounded and some exclusive merchandise. I want to celebrate what I’ve made and get it in front of people!”
Merny, Cost Of Living, 2023
Merny, Computer
In the process of curating it, was there a through-line you were looking to convey?
“The work in the show will take the viewer on a journey through the development of my practice since 2019. Before moving to Bristol I painted in all kinds of mediums and my subject was almost exclusively modes of transport in particular vans and trucks.
“It wasn’t until 2020 and in particular the Covid lockdowns that I began to work almost exclusively in watercolours and create work around current affairs, politics and human interactions. The exhibition will show how this approach has developed over the last few years into the style which I work in now. If you’d have told me 10 years ago that I would paint pictures of people I would never have believed you. But here I am exhibiting a big pile of art full of people going about their business.”
Merny, Relax, 2023
Merny, Nice Life
Can you describe the tone of much of your work, particularly in using humour to communicate a deeper political message?
“A lot of my work has sarcasm and a dark sense of humour in it but it’s not all politics and doom and gloom. Often with some pieces that people think are outrageous I’m just saying a truth that everyone already knows but it seems mad to have it written down.
“Sometimes it’s just a funny thought I had or an interaction I’ve overheard. Sometimes it’s just made up. I like it if my art makes people laugh and it’s even better if there’s a serious message behind it. I think part of your role as an artist, especially if you paint on the street, is to try and say something about the state of the world, as well as making things look nice.”
Merny, Stop Killing People, 2024
Merny, It’s Nice to be Free, 2021
In terms of living amongst a community of artists, how does Bristol compare to Berlin?
“I like to think of Bristol as about as close as you can get to Berlin in the UK. The two cities have a lot of similarities. There are a lot of artists here and a huge number of painters out on the streets.
“It means people are primed to appreciate murals and art and they seem to have my sense of humour a lot of the time. That’s one plus point Bristolians have over Berliners. They’re generally much less grumpy.”
Merny, 20 Quid Mate
Merny, Av That Mate
Merny: A Waste of Paint is at 17 Midland road on July 12-18, from 12-4pm or by appointment. Admission is free and all work is available to purchase. Follow @mernywernz and @17midlandroad for more information.
All photos: Merny Wernz (main photo: ‘Off My Box’, © Merny, 2023)
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