RIP Billy Apple

AUCKLAND, Tuesday: The New Zealand creative community is mourning the loss of artist Billy Apple ONZM. Apple, whose unique creativity inspired generations of New Zealanders. He died aged 85 on Monday night.

“Billy was a transformative spirit – a constant challenger to how and why we experience art.”

Apple recently had a major retrospective exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, where his work – much of it delivered in collaboration with Andy Warhol and other groundbreaking European & US pop artists – is part of the permanent collection.

Critic Hamish Keith said: “Billy was a transformative spirit – a constant challenger to how and why we experience art.”

With Auckland at alert level 4, a funeral won’t go ahead until the city moves to level 3.