Lehmann Maupin announces Spirit Guides and Other Guardians Joining Heaven and Earth, an exhibition of new work by British artist Billy Childish. Based in Chatham, Kent, Childish is known for his emotive, introspective, and often autobiographical writing, music, photography, printmaking, and painting, all of which has gained him something of a cult status worldwide. A prolific artist, Childish has recorded more than 170 LPs, published several novels, and written more than 40 volumes of poetry in addition to creating numerous paintings, prints, and multiples. While his confessional writing and music explore personal and political issues with startling candor, Childish’s paintings are often more subtle, featuring stunning natural landscapes or subjects drawn from his immediate environment—friends, family, and the artist himself. When painting, he moves quickly and intuitively. Working primarily on linen, Childish first draws a frame within a frame on each canvas, quickly sketching his composition in charcoal before moving to his palette of rich, earth-toned oils that imbue his paintings with a natural glow.

Spirit Guides and Other Guardians Joining Heaven and Earth features classic art historical themes: landscapes, bathers, and river scenes abound. The title reflects tenets of Childish’s philosophy towards life—that it is a spiritual journey focused on joining heaven and earth—as well as his feelings about painting, which he believes should always aim to connect the spiritual and the material. Childish feels that creative expression, as well as the beauty of nature, allow for connection to the divine, and each painting in Spirit Guides and Other Guardians Joining Heaven and Earth offers a glimpse into his worldview. The artist’s titles often come after his work is created. Uninterested in illustrating a particular viewpoint or directing viewers to think or feel anything specific, Childish paints directly from his subconscious, leaving each work to be “read” afterward in much the same way as one would interpret a dream.