Richard Billingham “Rays a laugh”
Ray’s a Laugh
(A collection)
This selection of photos was first shown at the barbican in 1994, entitled ‘who’s looking at the family’ two years later the collection was made into Billingham’s book ‘Ray’s a laugh’ 1996
These honest photographs capture and narrate the everyday lives of people in today’s society. Many of the untitled images made a collection and into a book “Ray’s a laugh” an insight into Billingham’s working class household in Stowbridge a town in the West Midlands . In 1995 Billingham began to take pictures of his alcoholic father and overweight tattooed mother, giving insight into his own family experiences and family routine. The pictures narrate the day to day life of his parents, as well as capture their journey through the struggle of day to day life.
‘Ray’s a laugh’ was published in 1996 by Scalo, and depicts where a way of life so dark, tragic and dirty can be altered into something as visually stunning as these photos. Although I have chosen just a set of photographs for this room and not a live theatrical piece, this book for me is probably one of the most raw and realistic way to narrate an individual/s life; however these pictures still seem to withhold so many answers about the Billingham’s day to day lives.
"My father Raymond is a chronic alcoholic.
He doesn't like going outside, my motherElizabeth
but she does smoke a lot.
She likes pets and things that are decorative.
They married in 1970 and I was born soon after.
My younger brother Jason was taken into care when he was 11,
but now he is back with Ray and Liz again.
Recently he became a father.
Dad was some kind of mechanic, but he's always been an
alcoholic. It has just got worse over the years.
He gets drunk on cheap cider at the off license.
He drinks a lot at nights now and gets up late.
Originally, our family lived in a terraced house,
but they blew all the redundancy money and, in desperation,
sold the house. Then we moved to the council tower block,
where Ray just sits in and drinks.
That's the thing about my dad, there's no subject he's interested
in, except drink."
"It's not my intention to shock, to offend, sensationalise,
be political or whatever, only to make work that is as spiritually
meaningful as I can make it -
in all these photographs I never bothered with things like
the negatives. Some of them got marked and scratched.
I just used the cheapest film and took them to be processed
at the cheapest place. I was just trying to make order out of chaos."
He doesn't like going outside, my mother
but she does smoke a lot.
She likes pets and things that are decorative.
They married in 1970 and I was born soon after.
My younger brother Jason was taken into care when he was 11,
but now he is back with Ray and Liz again.
Recently he became a father.
Dad was some kind of mechanic, but he's always been an
alcoholic. It has just got worse over the years.
He gets drunk on cheap cider at the off license.
He drinks a lot at nights now and gets up late.
Originally, our family lived in a terraced house,
but they blew all the redundancy money and, in desperation,
sold the house. Then we moved to the council tower block,
where Ray just sits in and drinks.
That's the thing about my dad, there's no subject he's interested
in, except drink."
"It's not my intention to shock, to offend, sensationalise,
be political or whatever, only to make work that is as spiritually
meaningful as I can make it -
in all these photographs I never bothered with things like
the negatives. Some of them got marked and scratched.
I just used the cheapest film and took them to be processed
at the cheapest place. I was just trying to make order out of chaos."
Richard Billingham 2000
Duane Hanson
Sculptor
(January 17, 1925–January 6, 1996)
Duane Hanson born was an extremely influential artist based in south Florida
Hanson first made collections depicting horrific images and violence to highlight social issues at this time. However in 1970 Hanson abandoned such shocking subjects and made a collection including Tourists, The young shopper, and traveller.
These life size figures captured humour, and were placed in areas with no restriction so they could be easily accessed by the viewer. The sculptures capture the day to day life of individuals, highlighting stereotypes and the ability to take a step back and view them as characters and not just sculptures.
