Willie Billy

Willie Billy is one of the first important video works by Julien Bismuth, both in terms of duration and production. It was created and produced for the show Le Signe Singe at la Ferme du Buisson, Noisiel, in 2013. Julien Bismuth has always been fascinated by the figure of the clown, its codes and archetypes. This mute video consists of two clowns manipulating and painting one another’s faces in an expressive and melancholic pantomime. While both disguises were inspired by the historical clowns Billy Hayden and Emmet Kelley known as “Weary Willie”, the story itself evokes the art of the clown, which combines pantomime and caricature, smile and grimace, comedy and melancholia. Though the script and props are minimal, the work is a meandering journey through the history of the visual and performing arts, from pantomime to painting, from Bosch to Messerschmidt.