Billy Childish

Thought i should elaborate on Billy Childish. He has been a great inspiration for me over the past few years, until i discovered his art i considered myself quite lost, i didn't understand why people would pay the sort of outrageous prices they do for art. Here is a quote from Robert Hughes from a conversation he had last year, where he is talking about the young generation coming into this cultural market, and how he would have reacted:

...I would have shied away from it, i would have found it alienating, people who know nothing about art, running around paying ridiculous prices for undesirable things.

Being part of this next generation that he talks about, it is funny to hear such a scathing quote from such an esteemed voice in the art world.

And it is exactly what he is talking about that really put me off art, and it put me off wanting to study art, especially at cofa - it is such a fucking money grubbing shit hole in lots of ways, but it can't be blamed directly, it is happening everywhere. To come across Billy Childish was quite a relief in lots of ways. I learned that what i was doing made sense to other people too, and that although it's quite shocking, the majority of people involved in art these days are misguided delusional wankers with no souls - well, those involved with art that makes money. Not that i think there has to be a romance of the impoverished artist painting for their bread, but their does have to be the romance of an artist painting because they need to do it, not for money, but to satisfy their SOUL.

So here is another clip of the man from an exerpt of the film Billy Childish is Dead, which was released a couple of years ago. Aswell as a link to a recent article on him, which i like as it recognises him as a man to be taken seriously, unsurprisingly lots of people don't take him all that seriously, because he sees through their meaningless and shallow conceits - and they know it. Oh,and that moustache is just a thing of beauty.

BILLY CHILDISH ARTICLE