Art Hate Graphics

As can be expected from artist and musician Billy Childish, his latest project, the book Art Hate Graphics 1972 – 2010, is provocative, challenging and far from straightforward.

Art Hate Graphics documents the propaganda posters, constructions and texts used to promote World Art Hate Week in 2009 and World Art Hate Day in 2010.

The events, as you may have guessed by this point, were a series of fictitious happenings – and real exhibitions – that explored truth, the abuse of culture and the conflicting and easily corrupted meanings inherent in the world of art.

As well as Childish, artist Harry Adams, Jamie Reid, who created artwork for the Sex Pistols, writer Neal Brown, and musician James Cauty have been involved in the projects.

Sometimes humorous, but often deeply sinister, the images appropriate iconography from Nazi Germany and have been carefully distressed to look like genuine period images. It’s a bizarre but captivating body of work, with an interesting – and harrowing – underlying concept.

Love Hate Graphics by Billy Childish, Harry Adams, Neal Brown, James Cauty and Jamie Reid is published by L-13 in April.