HORACE Panter, bassist and co-founder of Coventry ska legends The Specials, is exhibiting his Icons And Iconoclasm artwork at York gallery According To McGee.

"We're celebrating our tenth anniversary with our Trailblazers of Contemporary Art shows, and if you're going to run with a series called 'Trailblazers', you need at least one rock star in there," says gallery co-director Greg McGee.

"And Horace Panter is an old school rock star; Too Much Too Young is a ska number one classic. He's also a superb artist, with instantly recognisable and provocative work.

"There's a swagger and a naughtiness there, which no doubt comes in part from his experiences performing. There's also a socially aware vibe that we like very much. Political propaganda is built on iconography, and it’s thrilling to witnessHorace take that, remix it, re-sample it, even dismantle it. And he does it all with such a lightness of touch. The showman becomes the shaman, and Pop Art becomes a protest song.

"In that sense, in these days of political apathy, Icons And Iconoclasm proves to be an important and exciting project. Horace's paintings and prints provide a welcome kick up the backside."

Panter is "very honoured, chuffed even" to be one of only four artists invited to participate in the Trailblazers series. "According To McGee is one of those little galleries with big ripples," he says.

"My show features mainly my music-themed pieces: super-size cassettes, super-size Walkmans, portraits/collages of iconic artists/bands and robots. I work in the Pop Art arena but I like to think that all my pieces have a reverence inspired by traditional forms of iconography. At the end of the day, they're all religious paintings."

Panter will attend a Meet The Artist/Musician exhibition celebration at the Tower Street gallery on Saturday from 3pm to 5pm, when he will discuss his work, sign bought items and just hang out. Refreshments await too.

"Horace is such a dude," says co-director Ails McGee.

"It's funny; we have people of every generation as excited about his exhibition as we are. His cool factor is as relevant as ever. A lot of that comes from just how mighty a place The Specials take in the history of ska, but I have to say a lot of it comes from him ultimately being a dyed-in-the-wool gentleman."

Icons And Iconoclasm runs until June 28, open 11am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 5pm on Saturdays. All Panter's work, both originals and limited-edition prints, is for sale and prices start at £245.