Billy Childish discusses painting, tradition, and art school at Lehmann Maupin exhibition opening

Punk polymath Billy Childish opened his exhibition "flowers, nudes, and birch trees: New Paintings 2015" at Lehmann Maupin in New York. The artist, who records music as Billy Childish but paints under his family name William Hamper, created the works over six months, returning to nude subjects after a five-year hiatus. Childish describes painting as his "natural ground," practiced since childhood with a disciplined schedule of working every Monday and Sunday. His approach involves letting psychological drives emerge naturally rather than following prescriptive plans. The artist views tradition as freeing, calling his philosophy "Radical Traditionalism" because it subjugates the ego and connects with historical painting practices. He cites Van Gogh as an example of timeless art that transcends contemporary relevance. Childish was expelled from St. Martin's art school in the 1970s for refusing to use "art speak" and paint at the college, preferring to work at home to avoid contamination. He advises aspiring artists to maintain self-will and protect their primal interests against becoming "Identi-Kit conceptual artists." The interview includes his provocative definition of art as "pornography and comfort food for the spiritually inept," which amused a curator. Childish compartmentalizes his creative outputs, using different names for music (Billy Childish), painting (William Hamper), and film (William Loveday) to avoid categorization.