Richard Billingham (b. 1970) is a noted British photographer and artist.
Billingham studied at the University of Sunderland as a painter, and came to
prominence through his candid photography of his family in Cradley Heath, a body of work
later added to and published in the acclaimed book Ray's A Laugh (1996). 'Ray's a Laugh' is a portrayal of the poverty and
depravation in which he grew up. The photographs, which were taken on the cheapest film he could find, provide brash colours and
bad focus which adds to the authenticity and frankness of the series. 'Ray' his father, and his mother 'Liz' are portrayed as
grotesque figures, with the alcoholic father drunk on his home brew, and his mother, a chain smoker, with a fascination for
bawdy, flowered dresses and Ventetian masks.
In 1997 Billingham was included in Saatchi's notorious Sensation show of young British artists, at the Royal
Academy in London. Also in 1997, he won the Citigroup
Photography Prize. He was nominated for the 2001 Turner Prize, for his solo show at
the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham. He has also made landscape photographs at places of personal
significance around the Black Country, and more of these were commissioned in 2003 by
The Public, resulting in a book. He has also experimented with video films and
video projections.
In late 2006 Billingham exhibited a major new series of photographs and videos inspired by his memories of visiting
Dudley Zoo as a child. The series, entitled "Zoo", was commissioned by Birmingham-based arts
organisation, VIVID and was exhibited at Compton
Verney Art Gallery in Warwickshire. He now lives in Brighton, and travels widely. He is
a lecturer in Fine Art Photography at the University of
Gloucestershire.
Bibliography
- Black Country, The Public (2003). ISBN 0-9540200-2-2.
- Ray isn Witz, Scalo (2000). ISBN 3-931141-25-X.
External links
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