Billy Boi! An artist who KNOWS how to draw pregnant boobs. Oh, and he paints with lipstick. Pucker up...Photo's courtesy of Billy's Facebook & Snappuup!
Name and D.O.B please...
15th May 1986. Some know me as Frankie, others know me as Shirley, you may call me Billy Byrne.
What inspires you as an artist?
My work attempts to convey a strongly defined atmosphere, an atmosphere of bizarre and deviant beauty: where the erotic and the unsavory cohabit: a city and its corruption. As such I am influenced not just by visual artists but sources such as David Lynch films (Blue Velvet) and Decadent literary figures such as Charles Baudelaire and Paul Verlaine.
Visually my work brings to mind Egon Schiele, with angular bodies contorted into sexual and stylized scenes, more often disturbing then conventional 'erotic', I use lipstick as my main medium, the differing tones of red really supplements the Schiele comparisons too.
Give us and example of your daily routine.
Wake from my slumber, scratch my head wondering what to do today, consider the merits of having a wank, then decide against it (I will have earned it more later), go shower, clean my teeth, and get dressed in seconds flat then out the door (I dont usually have breakfast as I always seem to feel sick in the morning).
Has your work ever received negative critisism? If so, how did it make you feel?
When at a party/social gathering, the girlfriend of a mate (who shall remain nameless) started shouting loudly in front of everyone how shit she thought my work was because i couldnt draw realistically, "pregnant boobs dont look like that", even though I intentionally do my work like this, it still made me want to punch her.
The best moment of you career so far has been...
Having my work involved in 'The Factory' a night of art and music in which my work and that of others was exhibited at Proud in Camden, with literally thousands of people coming through the doors throughout the night, its probably the only decent exposure Ive had.
You could've been an astronaut. Why did you choose art? Or did it choose you?
If not being to do anything else other then sit in class drawing in infants school during break times because bullies were waiting for you outside, then yeah it chose me.
Random questions. How big are your feet, and are they ticklish?
They are small for a fella I reckon, 7-8, and they are sometimes ticklish. Depends on whos tickling them, if its Daisy Lowe or some other totty, then they can be as ticklish as they like.
Size 7-8?! How little ARE you?
Im only 5'7/8!... Oh wait you mean my downstairs... Well I am exceedingly large in that case, I am like a tripod.
So is Daisy Lowe the only person you'd allow to tickle your feet? Why her?
If I had an ideal girl, she would be it, Long fringey hairstyles are my weakness. I would also allow Sienna Miller and Bryce Dallas Howard (I also have a fetish for gingers)
If you were trapped in a small metal, wet room and had only a torch and a subway sandwhich, what would you do?
Use the torch to heat up the sandwich. Mould the tasty product onto the door handle and then stick the torch in it, and hope it blows up like they do in the movies.
You're told all dogs are to be extinct and you made responsible in less than a minute if you dont kill your Mother. What do you do?
Lose lose situation as my mother is a dog.
In 5 years time, what will you be doing?
Probably drinking myself into oblivion, covered in genital warts, in the gutter, but preferably after I made my name as a creative type and quite famous.
In 20 years time, what would you have acheived? See question 10.
Who are your favourite people?
Myself.
Where is your favourite place?
London, it's really where the action is, especially Shoreditch/Hoxton area, I lived there for seven months and intend to go back as soon as possible.
What is it about Shoreditch/Hoxton area that makes you think its got the buzz?
Even though the East End is a rough shithole thats a bit stabby, I still feel I can totter around wearing whatever I feel like, and I think alot of people would agree and this has contributed to the bohemian vibe of the place, attracting even more creative types, and the appearance of clubs and pubs has only helped, not to mention celebrities (I got mistaken for Alex Turner there once).
What other places would you take your work for exposure, apart from London?
Mmmm New York, Paris, Berlin, Toyko maybe, wherever there are rich people wanting to spend money on art, and wherever there are red light districts.
Name your top 5 movies of all time. If you don't watch film, and if thats the case frankly you're a weirdo, then list your top 5 songs. Or do both!
Withnail And I
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Rebel Without A Cause
Dr Strangelove
A Clockwork Orange
Fashion... you're going to a dinner party... you wear...
Skinny suit (that I sewn myself bitch), winklepickers, and a cowboy straw hat, with a pocket watch hanging out my pocket.
You're going to a house party... you wear...
Skinny suit (that I sewn myself bitch), winklepickers, and a cowboy straw hat, with a bottle of Jack Daniels hanging out my hand.
You're going to bed... you wear...
Skinny suit (that I sewn myself bitch), winklepickers, and a cowboy straw hat, with a female hanging out my trousers.
Do you wear socks to bed?
How dare you.
Megan Fox... skank or princess?
A skank but with a princess side that I think I can tempt out.
Finally... what are you afraid of?
Not achieving want I try really fucking hard for, and dying unknown and with potential unfulfilled...and unloved.
Billy's artwork will be seeing exposure in the future, and he has recently been snapped up to design some covers for a graphic novel. Isn't he cute?
