Joe Hargan was born in Glasgow in 1952. He studied Drawing and Painting at Glasgow School of Art from 1970 - 74. Joe is a well-recognised and highly respected figure in the Scottish art scene. He was President and Chairman of the Paisley Art Institute from 1989 - 2000 and he has been president of the Glasgow Art Club since 2018. He is the recipient of numerous art prizes and awards.
Joe is a master of colour and of tongue-in-cheek humour. His finely executed paintings offer humorous and sometimes surreal vignettes of the good life. They feature Sniffy and various other characters in stately home or gallery settings. Symbols abound, such as good life (wine), learning (books), politics (flags) and contemporary culture (the burger) and one is often treated to a painting within a painting. He juxtaposes contemporary life, and the art of old masters, within a single painting.