Richard Billingham
author · photographer
Richard Billingham is an English photographer, artist, filmmaker, and art teacher. He gained prominence in the mid-1990s with his seminal photobook 'Ray's a Laugh' (1996), which documents his family life in Cradley Heath, West Midlands. The work is noted for its raw, unflinching portrayal of poverty and domesticity, featuring his alcoholic father Ray and his mother Liz. Billingham studied as a painter at Bournville College of Art and the University of Sunderland. His career includes numerous publications such as 'Black Country' (2003) and 'Zoo' (2007), as well as documentary films like 'Fishtank' (1998). He has held professorships at Middlesex University and the University of Gloucestershire. His work is held in major collections including the Tate, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Government Art Collection.[2,3]
- family life
- poverty
- working-class identity
- landscape
Books
-
Ray is'n Witz€160.00 -
Ray's a laugh€176.00
Works by Richard Billingham
- 1996 Ray's a Laugh First published in 1996; documents the life of his father Ray and mother Liz.
- 2003 Black Country
- 2007 Zoo Edition of 750 copies.
- 2008 Landscapes, 2001–2003
- 1998 Fishtank Documentary video commissioned by Artangel and Adam Curtis for BBC Television.
- 2018 Ray & Liz Feature film memoir of his childhood.
Exhibitions
- 1996 Ray's a Laugh
- 1997 Sensation
Awards
- 1994 Prestige Photography Prize
- 1995 Felix H Mann Memorial Prize
- 1997 Citibank Private Bank Photography Prize (now Deutsche Börse Photography Prize)