Sculptor John Frankland is a near-contemporary of Damien Hirst’s; both studied at Goldsmith’s in the 80s and their work has been included in the same group shows and prominent collections.

I asked John for his take on the grand Gagogo gesture of The Complete Spot Paintings, the exhibition which has “taken over the planet” (according to some press reports) by showing 1500 examples of one of the artist’s signature works across the 11 Gagosian galleries.

John visited the London shows, in Britannia Street and Davies Street.

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Tags: Alan Charlton, Britannia Street, Damien Hirst, Davies Street, Flash Art, Gagosian, Giancarlo Politi, John Armleder, John Frankland, The Complete Spot Paintings, YBA

This was produced by Billy Childish and his associates before they formed The Stuckists.

I went along to a few Stuckist exhibitions and events, but preferred this manifesto to The Stuckists’; their’s seemed mere reaction when applied to artists of lesser stature than the soon-to-exit Childish.

Yet The Stuckists were worthwhile in their verbalisation of discontent at Britpop Blairite Britain’s rampant YBA smugness (and gave rise to the track with the ever-pertinent title Art Or Arse?).

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Tags: Billy Childish, Eugene Doyen, Sexton Ming, The Stuckists, YBA