Richard Billingham
Richard
Billingham is a British artist and photographer who was thrust into public attention after the release of his photo-book entitled
'Ray's A Laugh'(1996), which contained sincere snapshots of his dysfunctional family
who occupied a flat in the West Midlands. The artist revealed "My father Raymond is a chronic
alcoholic, my mother Elizabeth hardly drinks but she does smoke a lot ... my
younger brother Jason was taken into care when I was eleven but now he is back
with Ray and Liz…" (Who have since passed away).
At a glance, the images resemble grotesque caricatures of a crass clan, people often look down with disgust at such sights. However, if one looks beyond the surface, it is obvious that these photographs entail a story of tragedy and poverty in a post-Thatcher experiment known as Britain.
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| Liz & Ray (untitled) 1995 |
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| Jason & Ray (Untitled) 1995 |
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| Liz (Untitled) 1995 |
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| Liz & Ray (Untitled) 1994 |
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| Ray (Untitled) 1995 |
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| Untitled (1995) |
Furthermore, these photographs contain such vulgar realism that they sit on the verge of absurdity. Sometimes the viewer may feel discomforted by such images, as they reveal a truth that many would prefer to keep behind closed doors. Take this image of Ray (right) for example. It is perhaps more painful for the viewer than it was for Ray, who seems to have been in a temporary state of alcohol induced unconsciousness. The viewer may be irked by the display of faecal matter that clings to the side of the toilet, above which Ray's hand is hovering. The tightness of the space is claustrophobia inducing, making this an overwhelming photograph to look at however Ray's condition conjures sympathy as it may be assumed that his un-kept state is due to some tragedy that he has experienced in his life.
Social realism such as this is somewhat reminiscent of the 'kitchen sink realism' movement that took place during the late '50s and early '60s, sweeping across the spheres of art, literature and entertainment. This makes Billingham's work stand apart from his contemporaries as journalist Robert Chessyre elaborates "The contrast between his pictures and the conceptual art that normally dominates the Turner could scarcely be greater ... Billingham's photographs come straight from life".
Upon observation, one realist painter that springs to mind while looking at Billingham's work is John Bratby, who often painted mundane and grotesque images in an impressionistic style. Below is a painting by John Bratby and an early painting of Ray by Billingham. A resemblance can be seen between the two due to to the harsh, hasty brush strokes that can be identified aswell as a similar use of dim colours.
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| Ray, by Richard Billingham (Untitled) n.d. |
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| 'Jean Holding a Baby' 1956 |
After this comparison it is was a surprise to discover that Billingham claimed, in an interview with Gordan MacDonald, that his biggest influence is romanticist John Constable which seems like a far cry from Billingham's visceral photographs. The artist justified this by claiming "...nature, to me, is escapism".
Regardless of this, though, Constable's influence is more so evident in Billingham's later projects where he photographed various places in Constable Country as well as the Black Country, where he was raised.
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| Constable Dedham Lock & Mill - Circa 1818 |
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| Billingham (Constable Country) n.d. |
| Billingham Black Country (Untitled) 2003 |
Richard Billingham is also celebrated for his film entitled 'Fishtank' (1996). These recordings, like the artist's photographs, were not intended as a public feature however Billingham realised that a coherent film could be made if the footage was correctly edited.
Fishtank was filmed around the same time as when the photographs from 'Ray's A Laugh' were taken.
The title itself is a running motif that flows through the film. There is the literal 'fish tank' however, metaphorically speaking, the flat itself is a fish tank. The inhabitants are trapped inside and barely see the outside world. It seems that only mode of escape is through the television which seems to have a hypnotic effect on whomever stares into it.
In review, the footage contains very mundane activity, such as Jason killing a fly, Ray drinking and Liz applying her makeup. However the dialogue between family members is most intriguing as Billingham has managed to capture the extreme aspects of their personalities and relationships. In one scene you may witness bickering between Ray and Liz, which consists of Liz threatening to leave. However, towards the end of the film, you see that Ray and Liz have re-conciliated and are discussing the absurdity of life.
Such unfolding of events are similar to the likes of a Shelagh Delaney production, with it's exaggerated behaviour and thick regional accents.
The most masterful aspect of the film, though, was the closing scene where the Teddy Bears' 'To Know Him is to Love Him' plays in the peripheral. An emotive close up of Ray's nostalgia riddled face appears, ending the film on an emotional cliff hanger.
Conclusively, though, Billingham has managed to capture the existential struggle of a quintessential working class family as well as his home environment, which appears to be soul destroying. Regardless of it's emotional impact, however, Billingham has presented his work with a certain stoicism that encourages the viewer to accept reality as it really exists, as opposed to the reality that they want to exist.
Such social realism is something that I have been quite interested in recently, and I hope to explore it further in the future.
Source(s)
Chessyre and Germain quote, 15/02/14, 15.50, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4726608/Meet-the-parents.html
Billingham quotes,
