BILLY CONNOLLY
In 2007, on a dull, cold and rainy day in Montreal, Connolly happened upon an art shop, where the urge to create took hold. Several hours and several Canadian dollars later, Connolly was back in his hotel room with a veritable smorgasbord of art supplies and a creative demon to exorcise. Connolly began by sketching desert islands, one after the other, each island taking on its own characteristics and personality. “The fifth island, I noticed, was considerably better than the first one” Connolly recalls, the progression in such a short time frame excited him and he was keen to pursue his sketching. At every opportunity since, Connolly has sketched and drawn characters from his imagination. Taking it up with more gusto and passion in 2010, when he began to create the Born On A Rainy Day (referencing that cloudy day in Montreal) series, which was first presented to the public during an exhibition at Halcyon Gallery in Mayfair, London in 2012. His subsequent releases of hand-signed limited edition fine art were met with great acclaim, and demand for the work soared. Today, we are honoured to present the long- awaited third instalment from the Born On A Rainy Day series. Connolly describes his artistic process as something of an enigma; something which he cannot explain but seemingly takes over him as he begins to create. “It bears no relation to comedy or music,” says Connolly “my art is pure and un- judged, I am creating for myself, it is personal and private; whereas with a film, comedy show or music you expect people to be critiquing, watching, assessing. Art is different, it liberates you.”
His process mirrors that of the Surrealist Automatism movement, whereby the artist allows their hand to move randomly across the paper or canvas, without an intent to create anything specifically. Automatic drawing was pioneered by André Masson although many other artists practised automatic drawing, including Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Jean Arp and André Breton. Connolly’s images seem to evolve as they are being created and he allows the image the freedom to become whatever it was destined to become. ‘Surreal’ literally translates as ‘above reality’ which perfectly fits this work. The images are very real and recognisable (a dog, an angel) but also seem to float out of all context as if in a dream or a memory, linking directly to Dalí. Connolly’s art can also be likened to that of the cave paintings that originated in Aurignacian culture, possessing a charming simplicity, yet an extraordinary self-awareness and humanity. Connolly’s characters are faceless, completely anonymous; seemingly devoid of emotion or expression, and yet the emotional connection with the audience is quite prevalent. It is perhaps the simplicity of these characters that allows the viewer to connect with them so deeply. There is nothing contrived or intended about this work, it is creativity in its purest form. It has come from a place inside the artist that is not concerned with an audience or showmanship, it is not driven by a reaction or approval; it is simply being, each drawing has taken its own path and begins to come alive as the viewer creates their own unique narrative.
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