Above are the before and after-I-got-involved photos of the only collaboration painting between Black Francis (aka Charles Thompson and Frank Black) and I. It didn’t start out as a collaboration. One day, Charles and I travelled to Chatham from London, probably about 10 years ago, when his band, Pixies, were on tour here. It was a Monday, on one of my weekly trips to Billy Childish’s Chatham Dockyard painting studio. Charles painted on one of my sheets of cardboard, we left, then a year or so later, I mentioned to Charles that his painting was still in Billy’s studio. I think I asked if he wanted me to post it to him, but he said not to worry, that it was unfinished, and that I could paint over it if I wanted. I couldn’t, but instead said I would try and finish it. The bottom right of the above right photo is my effort at that.

I exhibited this Francis Johnstone collaboration in Stuckism: The Exhibition at Black Ivory in Muswell Hill, London. Here’s two photos of the our painting stations at Chatham. Mine on the left, Charles’ on the right. My painting is of carriages and a cat: