Maybe it was the unreasonably long queue, the liberal distribution of free champagne or even the three-inch square pencil sketches selling for over £2,000. Whatever it was, Artique’s new premises on Bridge Street was hosting something special. Having opened a few weeks ago after moving from the their cosy spot on Rose Crescent, the gallery was already enjoying a surge of attention even before Rolf Harris’s exhibition came to town. This collection was a baptism for the new gallery and all that extra wall space was put to good use hanging a broad range of original work by Harris, while the man himself perched in a room at the back signing, chatting and occasionally getting up to stretch his legs.

The wide variety of subject matter, medium and even price felt like an apt reflection on the broad range of Harris’s career. Concise and casually pencilled life models hung next to broad vistas of Machu Pikchu, which hung above Venetian sunsets, which in turn shouldered portraits of animals. The Gallery’s eclectic selecting process helped to present the display as a masterclass in Rolf Harris’s work throughout his career.

Alas, I didn’t get to speak to the big man. I did stand near him while he came out to tell us that sitting down for too long gave him a bad back; pretty much an interview. I was, however, able to speak to Richard Colley, the ‘boss man’ of the Gallery. Amid clear excitement for the popularity of not just Rolf’s exhibition but also their new venue he spoke about the incredible value (in every sense of the word) of some of the pieces displayed, describing some as "a bit of Rolf DNA".

At the age of 80 a degree of self-reflection from Harris is inevitable, and this is mirrored in his more recent liking of self-portraiture. Personally I feel that, despite being 100% polymath, Harris would rather be seen as an artist. Undoubtedly he will be, and this exhibition demonstrates that the public’s conception of Harris and his own vision of how he wants to be remembered are close to becoming one and the same.