Billy Childish

I make sure I make a painting - that's my job. And I cook the Sunday dinner.

People could live very happily without the Turner Prize, but they could not live without real communication and emotion.

I coined this term 'freedom thru limitation' back in the '90s because I was sick of art being treated like pop, because of this boring 'anything can be art' theory.

I like feeling at home and knowing people. I like talking about ideas and being friendly.

My favourite things are jokes, friendliness and feeling comfortable.

I did not like prizes at school. I didn't like tests or exams, or the 11+, or O-levels. Later I hated B.A.s and M.A.s. The reason I hated them is that I don't like being tested, failed or falsely praised by anyone.

I've dubbed myself as an amateur, not because I work in different field, but because I do what I do for love.

I think that the mythology of Van Gogh's life, and the beauty of his paintings, is unstoppable.

I liked drawing and painting, because the only failure would be to listen to the doubters who wanted me to stop drawing and painting because 'you aren't going to make a living doing that.' I liked looking in art books at the work of painters.

We are not actually in charge of life, yet behave as if we are the masters of our own destiny. The realization of this fact is quite a hard one. The ridiculousness of our pomposity and presumption can only result in anger or humor.

I don't spend a lot of time working if I can help it.

Being a fan of authentic Dada, I find today's art - what I call 'Bankers' Dada' - mind-numbingly dull. The most challenging work I've seen of late is by The British Art Resistance. Their document, 'A Call for Heroes in an Age of Cowards', is apt in these days of witless chancers.