Exhibition of the First Billy Sculptures in 1994
Exhibition of the Billy Sculptures
A Landmark Event in Soho´s Cultural Scene
On November 15th, 1994, the iconic Billy sculptures, created by John McKitterick and Juan Andres, made their debut at the Freedom Gallery on Wardour Street, Soho, London. This groundbreaking exhibition featured twelve unique iterations of the Billy sculpture, each meticulously dressed in distinct attire, offering a multifaceted exploration of identity and style. The twelve variations included Master Billy, Cowboy Billy, Sailor Billy, San Francisco Billy, Sporty Billy, Gay Boy Billy, Army Billy, Rubber Billy, Slave Billy, Muscle Boy Billy, Baby Billy, and Gym Billy. These figures were presented in individual Perspex cases, accompanied by striking, life-sized black-and-white images of each sculpture, creating a powerful visual dialogue between art, fashion and identity. The Billy sculptures were made available in limited editions of 100 for each version.
The exhibition’s opening night was a spectacular affair, drawing an eclectic crowd of over 700 attendees. The event was covered by television and radio crews, as well as the gay, fashion, and mainstream press. Luminaries from both the gay and straight communities attended the opening with notable figures from the worlds of fashion and art in attendance, including Rifat Ozbek, Alexander McQueen, Roland Mouret, Paul Rutherford, Michael Craig-Martin, and Peter Ackroyd. Hosted by the inimitable Evette, the evening also held poignant significance as it preceded the final performance of Minty, the band led by Leigh Bowery, who tragically passed away from AIDS shortly thereafter.
The Billy exhibition and Billy’s impact resonated far beyond the walls of the Freedom Gallery, capturing international attention. The project garnered extensive media coverage, with features in esteemed publications such as ID (UK), The Independent (UK), The Guardian (UK), Capital Gay (UK), Details Magazine (US), The Advocate (US), Elle (France and China), El País (Spain), Designer Workshop (Japan), and SonntagsZeitung (Germany). Remarkably, this widespread acclaim was achieved without a traditional publicity budget. This was possible because of the innovative and unique nature of The Billy Concept.
