The Art Of Being Childish

“Billy Childish, is the quintessential Englishman” - so think The Germans, The Americans, The Japanese and The French. ‘Against England’ is an exhibition of new paintings by Billy Childish at the Acquarium Art Gallery, London. Predominantly a series of portraits of himself and his wife amongst which the severed hand of a Nazi Messerschmitt pilot molests an English schoolgirl’s naked knee. “I refuse to be many things.” says painter, poet and musician Billy Childish. “I refuse to be a painter, a poet or a musician, but mainly I refuse to be English because they can’t paint and they can’t write.” “The English don’t like me and I don’t like them. The problem is, I’m self taught, have no qualifications and refuse to specialise. I consider myself an amateur in all aspects of life, and that upsets the delicate, yobby English.” In 1999 the British Art Show featured Childish’s poetry because they couldn’t swallow his paintings, at the same time The Poetry Society featured Childish’s paintings in their magazine yet refused to publish his poetry. As Billy himself says - "I shit on both their doorsteps with each others blessing." Irish Art