Billy Apple® New Zealand, 1935-2021
Billy Apple® (then known as Barrie Bates) studied at the Royal College of Art between 1959 and 1962 exhibiting alongside fellow artists such as David Hockney, Derek Boshier and Pauline Boty in the annual Young Contemporaries exhibitions.
In 1962 after graduating he notoriously changed his name and altered his appearance becoming ‘Billy Apple®’ in a self-conscious art action that doubled as a canny exercise in re-branding. In 1964 he moved to New York working with Andy Warhol in the pivotal exhibition The American Supermarket including Oldenburg, Wesselmann and Johns. In 1969, the artist opened Apple at 161 West 23rd Street, one of the six not-for-profit spaces that established New York’s Conceptual Art movement.
Exploring new consumer technologies, he was a pioneer in useing a Xerox machine and Neon signage. During the 1980s, Apple's practice focused on the economics of the art world. In 1983 he produced a solid gold apple for the former Auckland Coin & Bullion Exchange Director – a significant precursor to Damien Hirst's 2007 diamond skull For the Love of God. By 2007 Billy Apple® was a registered brand.
In 1974, Apple's first major survey exhibition was held at the Serpentine Gallery in London: From Barrie Bates to Billy Apple® (temporarily shut down due to complaints of indecency) Recent exhibitions include the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, International Pop, touring to Dallas Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2015-2016, and a retrospective at the Auckland Art Gallery, Billy Apple®, The Artist has to live like everybody else, 2015.
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Billy Apple® / Braco Dimitrijević
Conceptual Art Pioneers 21 Mar - 24 May 2024For our inaugural exhibition at 9 Bury Street, we showcase a dual presentation featuring the works of conceptual art pioneers, Billy Apple ® (b. 1935 – d. 2021, Auckland, New...Read more -
Billy Apple®
RAINBOWS 1965 18 May - 27 Jul 2022The Mayor Gallery is pleased to announce our forthcoming exhibition Rainbows 1965 by Billy Apple® . A re-staging of Apple's ground-breaking solo exhibition first shown at Bianchini Gallery in New...Read more -
Repetitions
2 Mar - 6 May 2022On the 100th anniversary of Répétitions by Paul Eluard and Max Ernst, a publication of collages and poems by the Dada and Surrealist artists, The Mayor Gallery in the countdown...Read more -
Three Colours
12 Apr - 5 Jun 2021We are excited that The Mayor Gallery will be re-open to the public from the 12 April with our comprehensive exhibition Three Colours, Red-White-Blue. A wide range of artists will...Read more -
INTERNATIONAL POP
15 Jun - 15 Oct 2020The Mayor Gallery is pleased to present a curated selection of International Pop Art featuring artists from around the world including France, USA, Brazil, China and the UK. Billy Apple®...Read more -
BILLY APPLE®
The Artist Has to Live Like Everybody Else 1962 – 2018 12 Sep - 2 Nov 2018A third solo exhibition by Billy Apple will run at The Mayor Gallery from 12 September – 2 November 2018. This follows on from the 2010 and 2013 exhibitions; Billy...Read more -
BILLY APPLE
NEW YORK 1970-75 10 Sep - 26 Oct 2013 -
BILLY APPLE
BRITISH AND AMERICAN WORKS 1960 - 1969 16 Sep - 30 Oct 2010
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BILLY APPLE
NEW YORK 1970-75 THE MAYOR GALLERY, 2013 Read more -
BILLY APPLE
BRITISH AND AMERICAN WORKS 1960-69 THE MAYOR GALLERY, 2010 Read more -
Billy Apple®
The Artist Has to Live Like Everybody Else 1961-2018 The Mayor Gallery, 2018 Read more -
Billy Apple®
Rainbows 1965 2022 Read more -
Billy Apple®
Life/Work 2020 Read more
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EXPERIMENTS IN LIGHT
BILLY APPLE® AND LIGHT ART IN THE MID 60s 24 May 2022ALEX BACON, CHRISTINA BARTON AND MARY APPLE IN CONVERSATION Alex Bacon is an art historian based in London and New York City who is also...Read more -
BILLY APPLE® FINISSAGE EVENT
RGB, In conversation with Misal Adnan Yıldı 30 Oct 2018Billy Apple®: The Artist Has to Live like Everybody Else 1961 – 2018 Finissage event RGB in conversation with Misal Adnan Yıldız 1 November 2018...Read more -
BILLY APPLE® IN CONVERSATION WITH HANS ULRICH OBRIST (VIDEO)
23 Oct 2018In accompaniment to Billy Apple's solo exhibition The Artist Has to Live Like Everybody Else 1961-2018 Hans Ulrich Obrist talks with Billy Apple about his...Read more
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PAN AMSTERDAM
20 - 27 NOVEMBER 2022 November 7, 2022STAND 36 Announcing our participation at PAN Amsterdam. Presenting works by Billy Apple®, Jan Henderikse and Mark Brusse in collaboration with BorzoGallery. MORE INFORead more -
TEFAF NEW YORK
Stand 367 May 6, 20226 - 10 May 2022 The Mayor Gallery is pleased to participate in this years TEFAF New York Spring edition. Featuring artists: Billy Apple |...Read more -
Billy Apple®
1935 - 2021 September 1, 2021It is a great sadness to report the passing of our friend, the great Conceptual and Pop artist Billy Apple®. Full obituary, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/06/ground-breaking-new-zealand-artist-billy-apple-dies-aged-85Read more -
Billy Apple®
Good Apple, Bad Apple June 7, 2021Pop & Conceptual artist Billy Apple® features in a new article published by Apples & People an online initiative that explores the astonishing story of...Read more
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BILLY APPLE®
INTERVIEW WITH STUDIO INTERNATIONAL October 17, 2018Billy Apple is not just an artist - he's a trademarked brand. He talks about exchanging his art for a knee operation and his new...Read more -
BILLY APPLE
THE ARTIST HAS TO LIVE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE March 11, 2015Billy Apple was at the heart of British art when it went 'Pop' in the 60s. In the 70s he opened an alternative space for...Read more -
BILLY APPLE
Centre of the Extended Continental Shelf of New Zealand, 2012 Installed April 2019 July 29, 2019Billy Apple has at last been able to install a large art work on a ridge in the Tararua Mountain Ranges after three years of...Read more