Art Of Punk – “Punk ~ The Transatlantic Paintings” – The Exhibition

Some photo’s from the Preview night of the “Punk ~ The Transatlantic Paintings” exhibition which took place at The Gallery,  Liverpool on Friday 07 November.

Against a backdrop of some terrific punk  music, there was a steady stream of visitors for more than 3 hours from 7pm until 10pm.   Thank you to all of the cool people from Liverpool who came along to meet me and to see my art of punk as well as to engage in conversation on the subject, I had some most interesting discussions.    Also a special mention must go to Pete Griffiths, bassist from the 1977 punk band The Spitfire Boys, who made the trip over from Ireland especially to be there.

Chris Billington and Pete Griffiths of 77 band The Spitfire Boys ~ ‘Punk – The Transatlantic Paintings’ exhibition, The Gallery, Liverpool

It was also tremendous to meet the acclaimed and highly entertaining actor Dean Sullivan, well known for his role as ‘Jimmy Corkhill’ in the Channel 4 TV series Brookside.

The art of punk ~ Chris Billington with actor Dean Sullivan ~ ‘Punk – The Transatlantic Paintings’ exhibition, The Gallery, Liverpool

A massive thank you to gallery proprietor Billy Wilson and to all of his amazing staff for making the Preview night such an exceptional evening.

The exhibition runs until 17 November.

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What’s in a number?  “Punk – ‘The Transatlantic Paintings” is an exhibition to mark the period around that mid 70’s axis. – 1975/76 – that saw the birth of a new movement, Punk.   This is a movement which arrived without warning, and almost simultaneously both in the UK and the USA..

Whilst there was a slow burn of activity on both sides of the Atlantic from the late sixties to the mid seventies, particularly in the US,  a change happened almost overnight under it’s own momentum, and with no apparent isolated contributing factor.   There was a rapid and radical headlong rush into 1977, this was the year that saw a punk explosion.

A fusion of garage rock ‘n’ roll, a chaotic but directional energy and teenage angst. Punk gathered critical support overnight and took both nations, and then the rest of the world, by storm, with its rebellious attitude, anti-establishment stance, iconic music, fashion and art  – all wrapped in threatening visual imagery and language.

Punk The Transatlantic Paintings ~ Chris Billington at The Gallery, Liverpool

Fifteen months in the making, my idea of “Punk ~ The Transatlantic Paintings” was formed in late 2012.   There were to be 40 paintings – to mark the 40 years, but even though that initial 40 concentrated the mind I soon found that it was near impossible for me to stick within my own remit.

So I revised the number upwards to 45, a nice number anyway, and quite fitting seeing as the exhibition has an almost exclusive focus on that ubiquitous punk symbol, the vinyl 45, which with it’s short, shock blasts of energy made it the antithesis of the meandering self indulgent album that had become the norm by bands in the mid seventies..

Almost half a century after the event, “Punk ~ The Transatlantic Paintings” is my take on Punk.

The exhibition is showing in The Gallery, Liverpool this month and at Studio 2091 in Ohio in 2015.    It is dedicated to the 45 single, and the 45 bands that I feature in the exhibition, also the late John Peel and the great independent record labels and stores who went against convention, and not forgetting the 500+ bands that I couldn’t cover for obvious reasons.

There is a limited edition 48 page catalogue to accompany the exhibition and a book is planned in ate 2015.

‘Punk ~ The Transatlantic Paintings’ 

The Gallery Liverpool, Stanhope Street, Liverpool L8 5RE

:: November 7 – November 17 :: Private View November 7 ::

Studio 2091,  Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio early 2015 date TBC

The Gallery Liverpool

For further details on the exhibition please contact The Gallery Liverpool

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Modern art meets traditional art in a majestic setting, the view from the Jülich Museum.

Here are some photographs taken before and after Chris Billington’s ‘Colour and Reduction ~ Landscapes to J.W.Schirmer’ exhibition. This was an exhibition where modern art met traditional art against the backdrop of a classic structure in the magnificently elegant and traditional Chapel at The Jülich Museum during October and November last year.

Here is an opportunity to see the paintings in better detail within the context of the exhibition and juxtaposed with some of the Schirmer originals which were displayed alongside the Billingtons.

The first few shots show the initial setting up of the exhibition by the Museum Director and some of the Museum staff.

All photographs courtesy of Bernhard Dautzenberg, Jülich Museum

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Abstract artist Chris Billington at the preview of his current exhibition in Germany which celebrates the work of classical landscape painter J.W.Schirmer.

The Juelich Museum Vernissage was attended by nearly 100 guests, including local dignitaries such as the wife of  Nobel Prize Winner, Physicist Peter Grunberg, and many members of the International Club.   The Club President Sandrine Cowling gave a delightful  welcome speech, along with an introductory  speech from Museum Director Marcell Perse and the exhibition was opened with a piano recital.

My most grateful thanks go to everyone concerned for the overwhelming response to my work, and especially to the Great, Great Grandson of J.W.Schirmer who travelled many miles with his wife to be at the opening of the exhibition and to meet me.

Above all I was completely moved with the totally unexpected Museum Medal which was presented to me in honour of my outstanding achievement to art.

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British Abstract Artist reworks Classical German Landscape painting via new forms and colour.

These are the Chris Billington paintings. A celebration of modern art from British abstract artist Chris Billington who pays tribute to the great nineteenth Century painter J.W. Schirmer at The Juelich Museum with his current exhibition “COLOUR AND REDUCTION ~ Landscapes To J.W. Schirmer” at The Juelich Museum 19 October 2013 – 10 November 2013.

“British artist Chris Billington has long been fascinated by Schirmer’s complex universe of landscapes.   In his radically abstract, geometric style, he lays bare the fundamental structures of Schirmer’s landscapes and condenses them into striking constellations of colour and shape.   With their apparent lightness and bold use of colour, his cohesive compositions entice us to really see.   In their reduced state they create spaces of strong symbolic force with a unique quality” 

Marcell Perse, Museumsleiter/Director

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Chris Billington, Cornish abstract artist at the Lille Art Fair of Contemporary and Modern Art, March 2013

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Some photo’s from Tuesday’s Private View at The Blake Gallery.

The Blake Gallery is named after Sir Peter Blake, iconic Pop Artist with whom I exhibited alongside in Bristol in 2009 and  who studied at the Gravesend School of Art,.

The Blake Gallery is located in the Civic Centre and the exhibition runs until December 28

An exhibition of paintings painted specifically for The Blake Gallery that present some of the traditional images of Christmas in a contemporary and colourful way, and which also includes an element of Kent in some of the work. With titles including ‘Five Gold Rings’, ‘Throwing Snowballs On The Thames’ and ‘Christmas under the Clock Tower, Gravesham’

:: December 3 – December 28 ::

For further information and prices please contact The Blake Gallery

Monday to Saturday 9am to 8pm and Sundays 10am to 2pm.

The Blake Gallery
THE WOODVILLE
Woodville Place
Gravesend
Kent
DA12 1DD

01474 337774

The Blake Gallery

A major exhibition of 27 paintings in response to the significance of the year 2012

:: July 6 – July 21 :: Private View July 5 ::

For further information and prices please contact the gallery

10.30 AM – 5PM Tuesday to Saturday inclusive

The ARThouse Gallery
22 Post Office Road
Bournemouth BH1 1BA

01202 555 131
07712 933 804
enquiries@thearthousegallery.org
http://www.thearthousegallery.org/chrisbillington

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A few photo’s from the opening reception of the  exhibition held in Manhattan, New York  to celebrate the Arte News Magazine launch, apologies for the poor quality of the images..

The exhibition runs from 8th July to 13th July and can be seen at The Spanish Benevolent Society Gallery, 239 West 14 Street, New York City, on the crossroads of Chelsea and Greenwich Village

My paintings, “Manhattan”, “New York Neon”, “Flight 1549″ and “Strawberry Fields, Central Park” are all 90cm x 90cm.