Praised by Peter Doig and 'copied' by Tracey Emin, Britain's biggest art enigma Billy Childish talks about his art, punk music and the joys of amateurism. More on musicians at www.guardian.co.uk/music
Cant understand why there's 2 dislike here... One of the most talented artist of our generation! Congrats to a successful career w/o ever selling out Billy!!
“Though I have undoubtedly angered Jack White, I think it’s a bit nasty of him to accuse me of plagiarism merely because his former admiration of my work was not reciprocated.” He added: “It all smacks of jealousy to me. I have a bigger collection of hats, a better moustache, a more blistering guitar sound and a fully developed sense of humour. The only thing I can’t understand is why I’m not rich. Yours sincerely, Billy Childish.” Signing off the letter, Childish said: “P.S. I always stay well within the music industries recommended guidelines of never plagiarising more than 50% of my material. But no matter who my influences may be, I would never stoop so low as to rip off Led Zeppelin. “P.P.S I hope I've gone and offended Led Zeppelin now."
Very empowering ideas: Amateurism as a badge of honour, not as a lack; Creation as an everyday thing. The institutions running Art (Art Schools, Academia, Museums and the Art-Business) are responsible to a large degree in turning art into a serious and very b o r i n g thing, approcheable by a chosen few, unatainable by the rest. And then we wonder why most people are not into creation, only into the apathetic consumption of it. ¿Who's the most known contemporary artist at the moment? I don't have a clue, I don't care, but I do know that Billy's art and message hasn't aged a bit. One of the most inspiring UK artists alive, sod the rest.
I'm a big fan of Billy, I like his art but I'm more into his music, he seems like the type of person I could have a good conversation with, I'd like to meet him.
Too bad his books are so hard to find. If anyone could point me in the direction of a retailer that has his books let me know. BTW Powell’s Books is out of stock.
National treasure innit... Along with a certain Mr Cauty and that there graffiti/public service announcement chap ole blighty has 3 of the best. If you want 4 I'd say the artist taxi driver...
"...of course he could have been an art star like Tracey Emin or Damien Hirst but that just doesn't interest him..." Nah, he prefers to be a REAL ARTIST...
The convolutions of reason along which he dashes and parrys, hang like mobius tightrope bridges, teetering out above the abyss... There is a tragic grace in the desperate agility with which he vaults at last onto the platform of self-vindication. Strike thee thy headcoat silhouette against the plastichrome inferno sprawled, writhing behind you Billy! Make for us an antipriced, anachronasmic, anartistic, amasteurish icon, that we may save our own arses by wandering off into the sacred purity of solitary obscurity. Amen.
@@Pencil0fDoom that, my potato friend, is a very good little poetic rant. Right to the point, plumbing the depths of him and us, with some ripper wordy-things.
Jack white blows. His best achievement winning an award for best song(7 nation) was a riff rip from a classical composition. Most of his music is hokey, campy, and uninspiring. Long live the raw, pure, originator, not the immitator, Billy Childish!!
I think that the interviewer misses the point of Billy Childish: he misses his fetishes and psychology and his separateness. The Interviewer misses the point, by a mile. He misses his obsessions with the the wreckage of recent cultural accretions and his downright dismissal of chasing the fuckbuck. His misses Billy Childish by a mile, a mile, he misses Billy Childish by a Kentish mile!
Is there any Brit art that isn't embedded in the stinking class system of total bull shit? Even the outsider stuff is based in an alternative class system of using people.
