16/10/2024
Loads of quality Stuckism coverage in our NEW ZINE. 24 pages of Stomach Turner Prize info and pics. Even more Stuckism: The Anti-Anti Art Movement in Edition 2. For example:
Edgeworth Johnstone interview extract from Edition 2 (expected December 2024) of The Stomach Turner Prize 2024 Zine on the subject of Isabella Kwai‘s New York Times article 'The Artist as ‘Ever-Moving Target’: Billy Childish Refuses All Labels':
‘The Artist as ‘Ever-Moving Target’ is a good title, and I think reflects some of the frustration Billy and I have felt trying to encourage along an exhibition, book, or some proportional exposure to what, we at least recognise Heckel’s Horse‘s value to be. Heckel’s Horse is an ‘Ever-Paralysed Target’, despite Billy’s in particular, efforts to get things properly moving. But we just seem to hit a brick wall every time.
Artistically, Heckel’s Horse isn’t paralysed, but we’re both Stuckist-manifesto-relater-to-ers despite Billy long since leaving the Stuckists (having STOMACHed it for as long he did), and I distance myself too from a lot of it, mainly through writing manifestos by The Other Muswell Hill Stuckists AS PER MY BOOK ON AMAZON ‘Stuckism Bitcoin Jompiy’. … The Other Muswell Hill Stuckists are, very much, not Stuckists but you have to respect the centre-corest of Stuckism’s fundamentals:
It is the Stuckist’s duty to explore his/her neurosis and innocence through the making of paintings and displaying them in public, thereby enriching society by giving shared form to individual experience and an individual form to shared experience. – Stuckism manifesto point 8.
It’s counter-Stuckist nature to see the opposite happening to Heckel’s Horse. Art’s to be shared, not locked away. Especially when it’s for business reasons, who needs the glittering prizes anyway? – Stuckism manifesto point 7. The only type of “public recognition” on offer here is that which the Stuckism manifesto point 15 mocks, not the glorious public recognition of Stuckism manifesto point 8. The current Heckel’s Horse predicament is the opposite to what I can only understand the Billy Childish & Edgeworth Johnstone & Stuckist way to be. Stuckism manifesto point 1, UNCENSORED EXPRESSION. Point 9, The Stuckist is UNAFRAID TO FAIL. Heckel’s Horse seems afraid to even move. Career artistry at its finest.
Billy’s put it out there in at least one interview that Heckel’s Horse is his ‘favourite work’. We’ve talked about, and worked on plans to independently-ish put out a joint book and exhibition of Heckel’s Horse, I think through L-13, but those conversations started not long after the sensational Heckel’s Horse Jr. (HECKEL’S HORSE JR. IS NOT HECKEL’S HORSE. It’s Edgeworth making his own version of Heckel’s Horse paintings) at Highgate Gallery show was booked in late 2022. Two years and counting. But at what point do you stop counting and write it off as yet another brick wall? I think it’s fair to say, following through on Heckel’s Horse publication talk is neither mine, nor anyone’s strong suit. The necessary people are busy and/or however interested, so I guess some things aren’t meant to be. But on the plus side I’ve got Heckel’s Horse Jr. and crucially, nothing better to do. All systems go Heckel’s Horse Jr.!!!!
Billy and I both keep saying how much we’d like to see Heckel’s Horse paintings up on the wall, rather than rotting in long-term storage. The Stuckist manifesto would say “Well stop talking about it and just bloody do it!!! You’re surrounded by walls. What’s wrong? Not white enough for ya!!!!” AS PER Stuckism manifesto point 18:
“The Stuckist is opposed to the sterility of the white wall gallery system and calls for exhibitions to be held in homes and musty museums, with access to sofas, tables, chairs and cups of tea. The surroundings in which art is experienced (rather than viewed) should not be artificial and vacuous.” – Stuckist manifesto point 18.
I remember back, probably 2014, some official-whatever people coming round the studio, going on about how great the Heckel’s Horse paintings are. We couldn’t have done too many by then, but it seemed they got how eager Billy and I were to get these up in a proper solo show, sometime relatively soon. But it’s like Little Britain. “Artworld says “No”. Although they don’t ever say “No”, it’s more of a grin-f**k thing (SEE THE BIT ABOUT MONOPRINTS).
It’s not the greatest, over a decade later, still essentially being in the same position, but it’s like Billy often says in the studio “If they’ve got what you want, they’ve got you.” Heckel’s Horse will have it’s day in the sun one day, and in a way, the longer it takes, I reckon the better for Heckel’s Horse Jr. I’ve got high hopes for Heckel’s Horse Jr. but I’ve veered off into the Jompiy thing recently so haven’t done much since the Highgate show. I moan about Heckel’s Horse but you can’t complain too much about being a prisoner if you’ve got the keys in your pocket. And how many people are going to share Billy and my rating’s of Heckel’s Horse anyway? No disrespect to the others, but you know that blonde good-looking lady from “Portrait Artist of the Year”? She came round to Billy’s studio to interview him for a Sky Arts documentary on Van Gogh. There aren’t enough documentaries on Van Gogh, so was great to hear they’re making yet another one. I was all ready for the inevitable floods of celebrity praise when Billy showed her the Heckel’s Horse work, and she couldn’t have looked more disinterested if she’d tried. The same ‘critic’ that fawns over all that Bayswater Road crap on TV. Wouldn’t know a decent painting if it shat on her head. Maybe locking up the Heckel’s Horse painting’s got some merit to it. “None of you know what you’re looking at.” I think’s a quote from The Rebel Billy often quotes. Anyway, Heckel’s Horse Jr. ‘s the way forward. It’s like my mum said ‘If you want something done, do it yourself.’ To me, that sums up true punk.
