Originally released to widespread acclaim in 1996, Richard Billingham's Ray’s a Laugh stands as a pivotal photobook from the turn of the twentieth century and a foundational piece of the Young British Artists movement.
Capturing the starkly intimate scenes within Billingham's tumultuous family home marked by alcoholism and poverty, the book, crafted in the 1990s with editors Michael Collins and Julian Germain, now sees a new edition. MACK's reissue honors Billingham's initial vision by incorporating unseen images and adopting a distinctive sequencing approach influenced by his background as a painter. Considered a 'director's cut,' it reintroduces this profoundly personal and consistently challenging work for a contemporary audience.
