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stuckism

The first Stuckist to be exhibited in Tate Modern

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In May 2010, art history was made when Edgeworth Johnstone (now primarily known as Jompiy) of The Other Muswell Hill Stuckists became the first Stuckist to be exhibited in Tate Modern. Finally, national recognition for Stuckism in their arch enemies flagship venue. As The Museum of Everything, who curated the exhibition that included five of Johnstone’s artworks (more than any other artist in the show) puts it “We accepted their kind invitation and asked the unintentional, unseen, unexhibited and unknown artists of Greater Britain to bring their work for us to display in the greatest museum in the land”.

Johnstone, who now also works under the aliases Heckel’s Horse Jr. and Jompiy, the former in which he (prepare to be confused) paints versions of paintings he and Stuckism co-founder Billy Childish (who left The Stuckists in 2001 having stomached it for as long as he could) make under the alias Heckel’s Horse. In 2024, Childish referred to Heckel’s Horse as “my favourite work“. To date, Childish and Johnstone have made roughly two hundred Heckel’s Horse paintings together, the vast majority on six foot tall Belgian linen canvas. The Heckel’s Horse partnership began in 2013, since when, apart from a yearish long break during covid, Childish and Johnstone have been painting together on a near-weekly basis. Johnstone said in a 2024 interview with fellow North London genius Emma Pugmire that he suspects Tate Modern will be the first gallery to host a solo show of Heckel’s Horse. Will Tate Modern make art history again?

Billy Childish and Edgeworth Johnstone working together on their collaboration paintings (Heckel’s Horse)

Edgeworth Johnstone now holds demos outside Tate Modern, Tate Britain and near Camden Market, wearing a pig mask, under the alias Jompiy:

Above: Edgeworth Johnstone of The Other Muswell Hill Stuckists

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Tate is Mad

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9th November 2013: Charles Thomson (Stuckism co-founder) interviewed by Edgeworth Johnstone (of The Other Muswell Hill Stuckists) about Thomson’s first show at Tate Modern.

Charles Thomson: This is my piece of text art in the Bloomberg Connects. My first exhibition at Tate Modern. It’s an appropriation from something in The Other Muswell Hill Stuckist Newspaper, written by Edgeworth Johnstone, where he says “Tate is mad”. The basis of this statement was that Tate turned down a donation of 160 artworks from an international art movement, the Stuckists, which were exhibited at The Walker Art Gallery, a national museum of art in 2004. The whole show, the whole movement was offered free of charge to the Tate, and it was turned down as being of no worth. So I guess that’s a bit of a smack in the face for the Walker Art Gallery. “Fuck Off Walker” says the Tate.

On the other hand, one of the pieces turned down, of no worth, is now actually in the Tate archive, because they said that the Stuckist protests were of worth, and of interest. So there’s a postcard of my painting of Sir Nicholas Serota makes an aquisitions decision in the Tate achives, as of worth. Whereas the original painting has been turned down, as not of worth. So there you go. Something not of worth, can be made of worth, by being turned in to a postcard.

CT: It says Tate is mad.

Tate Staff Member 1: Some people.

CT: Some people. Yeah, some people.

TSM 2: It’s good they have their opinions isn’t it.

CT: Stuckism is the future. Have you heard of Stuckism?

TSM 2: Yes. They’ve been trying to be displayed many times. 

CT: They’ve been trying to be in this place?

TSM 2: Yes. They been trying to have a display many times. They’ve been proposing their works to Tate many times.

CT: Many? What they’ve been sending in their work many times? and what happens?

TSM 2: They usually get rejected I guess by the aquisitions committee.

CT: Right. Is that fair?

TSM 2: I’m not sure. I’m not the one making the decision.

CT: Who makes the decision?

TSM 2: It’s called aquisitions committee, which is probably Directors Board and some curators.

CT: Are artists on there?

TSM 2: There maybe some who are part of a Board of Trustees. There are some artists there as well.

CT: Stuckists criticise some artists. I think they actually criticise artists that are on the Board of Trustees. And then these people judge whether their work should be in the Tate. So they’re not going to want their work in, because Stucksim criticises them. So if you want your work in, you really need to be…suck up to these people and be nice. It’s politics. Politics. Here we go…Politics.

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