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{{short description|English painter}}
{{This|the Stuckist artist}}
{{about|the Stuckist artist}}

{{multiple issues|
{{lead too short|date=August 2011}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2014}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2012}}
{{Infobox artist {{Infobox artist
| name = Bill Lewis | name = Bill Lewis
| image = Bill lewis1.jpg | image = Bill Lewis1.jpg
| imagesize = 180px | caption = Lewis in Canterbury, 2013
| caption = Bill Lewis | birth_name = William Lewis
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|8|1|df=y}}
| birthname = William Lewis
| birth_place = ], ], ]
| birthdate = {{Birth date and age|1953|8|1|df=y}}
| death_date =
| location = ], ], ]
| deathdate = | death_place =
| deathplace =
| nationality = ] | nationality = ]
| field = ], ], ] | field = ], ], ]
| training = | training =
| movement = ] | movement = ]
|| patrons =
| works = ''God Is an Atheist: She Doesn't Believe in Me''
| patrons =
| influenced by = | influenced by =
| influenced = | influenced =
| awards = | awards =
}} }}


'''William "Bill" Lewis''' (born 1 August 1953) is an ] artist, story-teller, poet and mythographer.<ref name=milner86>Milner, Frank, ed. ''The Stuckists Punk Victorian'', p.86, ] 2004, ISBN 1-902700-27-9. Pages 6-30, ]'s essay, "A Stuckist on Stuckism", can be found online at .</ref> He was a founder-member of ] and of the ] art group.<ref name=milner86/> '''William Lewis''' (born 1 August 1953) is an ] artist, story-teller, poet and mythographer.<ref name=milner86>Milner, Frank, ed. ''The Stuckists Punk Victorian'', p. 86, ] 2004, {{ISBN|1-902700-27-9}}. Pages 6–30, ]'s essay, "A Stuckist on Stuckism", can be found online at .</ref> He was a founder-member of ] and of the ] art group.<ref name=milner86/>


==Life and career== ==Life and career==


===Early life===
Bill Lewis was born in ], ], ]. He attended Westborough Secondary Modern School and left in 1968 with no qualifications.<ref name=milner86/> In 1975, with his friend, ], he started a series of poetry readings called ''Outcrowd'' at the Lamb pub (later re-named Drakes' Crab and Oyster House] by the ] in Maidstone.<ref name=milner8>Milner, p.8</ref> Both ] and ], the later co-founders of the ] group, read at these events.<ref name=evans>Evans, Katherine, ed. ''The Stuckists'', p.6, Victoria Press 2000, ISBN 0-907165-27-3</ref>
Bill Lewis was born in ], ], ]. He attended Westborough Secondary Modern School and left in 1968 with no qualifications.<ref name=milner86/> In 1975, with his friend, ], he started a series of poetry readings called ''Outcrowd'' at the Lamb pub, later renamed Drakes' Crab and Oyster House, by the ] in Maidstone.<ref name=milner8>Milner, p. 8</ref> Both ] and ], the later co-founders of the ] group, read at these events.<ref name=evans>Evans, Katherine, ed. ''The Stuckists'', p. 6, Victoria Press 2000, {{ISBN|0-907165-27-3}}</ref>


===1970s===
He spent a year unloading trucks in Cheeseman department store in Maidstone, then in 1976 he had a ], attempted suicide and spent three months in Crossfield psychiatric ward, ].<ref name=milner86/> 1977-1978, he studied Foundation Art at ],<ref name=milner86/> at the same time as Childish and ], another future Stuckist.<ref name=evans/>
He spent a year unloading trucks in Chiesmans department store in Maidstone, then in 1976 he had a ], attempted suicide and spent three months in Crossfield psychiatric ward, ].<ref name=milner86/> 1977–1978, he studied Foundation Art at ],<ref name=milner86/> at the same time as Childish and ], another future Stuckist.<ref name=evans/>


In 1979, his interest in ], combined with the current ] culture, led him to joining up with Childish, ], ], ] and ] to found the anarchic poetry performance group, ],<ref name=milner8/> which he named.<ref name=milner86/> The group performed in colleges, pubs and festivals, including the International Cambridge Poetry Festival in 1981.<ref name=milner8/> It was the subject of a TV South documentary the following year.<ref name=milner9>Milner, p.9</ref> In Lewis's performances, he "jumped on a chair, threw his arms wide (at least once hitting his head on the ceiling) and pretended he was Jesus."<ref name=milner8/> In 1979, his interest in ], combined with the current ] culture, led him to joining up with Childish, ], ], ] and ] to found the anarchic poetry performance group, ],<ref name=milner8/> which he named.<ref name=milner86/> The group performed in colleges, pubs and festivals, including the international ] in 1981.<ref name=milner8/> It was the subject of a TV South documentary the following year.<ref name=milner9>Milner, p. 9</ref> In Lewis's performances, he "jumped on a chair, threw his arms wide (at least once hitting his head on the ceiling)."<ref name=milner8/>


===1980s===
]
]
<!-- Deleted image removed: ] -->
In 1980, he had a show of paintings at Peter Waite's Rochester Pottery Gallery, as did Thomson, Childish, ] (no relation) and ], the last two also founder members of the Stuckist group.<ref name=evans/> In 1980, he had a show of paintings at Peter Waite's Rochester Pottery Gallery, as did Thomson, Childish, ] (no relation) and ], the last two also founder members of the Stuckist group.<ref name=evans/>


1978-82 he was the CSSD Porter at West Kent General Hospital,<ref name=milner86/> which provided subject matter for many of his poems at the time. He knew ] and helped edit her short stories for her first book, ''Six Turkish Tales'' (] 1987).<ref name=milner9/> Since 1982, he has been a full-time artist (though he gave up visual art at this time<ref name=sherwin/>) with "occasional forays into tomato picking",<ref name=buck>Buckman, David, ''Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945'', p.954, Art Dictionaries, Bristol, 2006, ISBN 095326095-X</ref> In 1985, he was Writer-in-Residence at the ].<ref name=who>"Lewis, William Edward", ''International Who’s Who in Poetry 2005'', 13th Edition. Retrieved from ], 17 September 2009.</ref> In 1997, he began to make prints and paintings once more.<ref name=sherwin>Sherwin, Brian. , myartspace.com, 29 December 2006. Retrieved 6 April 2008.<!--NB an editorial post on a site that has editorial oversight--></ref> 1978–82 he was the CSSD Porter at West Kent General Hospital,<ref name=milner86/> which provided subject matter for many of his poems at the time. He knew ] and helped edit her short stories for her first book, ''Six Turkish Tales'' (] 1987).<ref name=milner9/> Since 1982, he has been a full-time artist (though he gave up visual art at this time<ref name=sherwin/>) with "occasional forays into tomato picking".<ref name=buck>Buckman, David, ''Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945'', p. 954, Art Dictionaries, Bristol, 2006, {{ISBN|0-9532609-5-X}}</ref> In 1985, he was appointed as the first writer-in-residence at the ].<ref name=who>"Lewis, William Edward", ''International Who’s Who in Poetry 2005'', 13th Edition. Retrieved {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} from ], 17 September 2009.</ref>


During this time he performed at the Kent Literature Festival in ]. His first major collection of poems ''Rage without Anger'' was published during this period.
] group at the ''Real Turner Prize Show'', 2000]]
In 1999 he was one of the founding members of the ] art group along with Childish, Thomson and Ming. Lewis has been featured prominently in all the key Stuckist shows. In 2001, he taught mythology at Kent Children's University.<ref name=milner86/> In 2004, he was one of the fourteen "founder and featured" artists in '']'' held at the ] for the ].<ref>, ], ]. Retrieved 6 April 2008.</ref> He was quoted about ] in the book accompanying the show:
:We think with our whole person. The mind is free from the bone prison of the skull. We are intellectuals of the heart. Just as modernist thought was affected by Einstein's Theory of Relativity (as can be seen by Picasso's paintings for instance) the New Paradigm that Re-modernism identifies itself with is one made possible by the discovery of quantum mechanics.<ref>Milner, pp.29-30</ref>


He read and published work on the theme of Human Rights. His poem "Red Guitar" dedicated to the murdered Chilean songwriter ], was published in Chilean journals in England and translated into Spanish and published in an underground magazine in Chile.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}
In 2005 he founded The Medway Delta Press.<ref name=sherwin/> The first project was a limited edition set of 3 CDs entitled ''Voices From The Medway Delta'', featuring work by ], ], Chris Broderick, Bill Lewis, and other names in the Medway scene.<ref name=sherwin/> The Medway Delta Press has also published a DVD documentary by Carol Lynn on Stuckism.<ref name=sherwin/>


In 1989 the Nicaraguan poet and storyteller ] invited Lewis to Nicaragua, suggesting he would find the revolution receptive to his poetry. Lewis, with his wife Ann, embarked on a three-month stay in that country.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}} Lewis carried out a series of poetry readings there. Much of his experiences from this journey were later explored in his book ''The Book of Misplaced but Imperishable Names''.
He was one of the ten "leading Stuckists"<ref>, '']''. Retrieved 29 March 2008.</ref> in the ] exhibition at ] gallery in October 2006.


===1990s===
He has had a solo show at the Rochester International Photography Festival.<ref name=walkerbill>, ], ]. Retrieved 6 April 2008.</ref>
]
<!-- Deleted image removed: ] -->
]
During this period that Bill Lewis performed three times with '60s star ].{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}


In 1999 he was one of the founding members of the ] art group along with Childish, Thomson and Ming. Lewis has been featured prominently in all the key Stuckist shows.<ref name=milner86/> In 2004, he was one of the fourteen "founder and featured" artists in '']'' held at the ] for the ].<ref>, ], ]. Retrieved 6 April 2008.</ref>
In 2009 as small group of former stuckists and artists who had not been part of the movement formed the Institute for Collective Remodernism founded and lead by Joe Machine. The aims of this group are to take the Stuckist experiment further. One of the aims of the group is to explore the unconscious, especially The Shadow, as identified by Jung and the need for self confrontation in the art work. Also to develop a new intellectualism that moves beyond the enlightenment and connects with new paradigm thought; what Bill Lewis terms as "an intellect of the heart". Lewis joined this group at its inception. In 2010 an international meeting of the institute was held at Lewenhagen in the former Stuckist Centre in Germany and hosted by Mary Von Stockhausen. The group painted for five days and the work now hangs in the permanent collection. The whole trip was filmed by Film Maker Jonathan Henkel. Short clips of this film can be viewed on YouTube (see link below). Lewis, Machine, Shelley Li, Edgeworth Johnson, Edwina Jacques and guests feature in the first Collective Remodernist exhibition at Lauderdale House in Highgate, London in 2010.

In the 1990s Lewis experimented with singing some of his poems often using a frame drum made for him by an American Indian drum maker and also a Native American horn rattle. His sung poems have influences from shamanic, Latin American and middle Eastern tunes and rhythms.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

Throughout the 1990s he carried out many poetry reading tours, six on the East Coast of the United States, he also performed (in English) in Paris, France. Many of Lewis' American readings were organized by Professor Robert Parker Sorlien of the ]. Other readings were funded and organized by The Curbstone Press of Connecticut. The last of these readings was at a festival in Willimantic, Connecticut, where Lewis appeared on stage with ], Naomi Ayala and ].{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

During this period several of his short stories were translated and published in German newspapers and magazines. A few of his poems were also translated into Spanish.

===2000s and beyond===
] group at the ''Real Turner Prize Show'', 2000]]
]
After co-founding, with Dave Wise, The Urban Fox Press, Lewis went on to found The Medway Delta Press in 2005. The first project was a limited edition set of 3 CDs entitled ''Voices From The Medway Delta'', featuring work by ], ], Chris Broderick, Bill Lewis, and other names in the Medway scene. The Medway Delta Press has also published a DVD documentary by Carol Lynn on Stuckism.<ref name=sherwin>Sherwin, Brian. , myartspace.com, 29 December 2006. Retrieved 6 April 2008.<!--NB an editorial post on a site that has editorial oversight--> {{dead link|date=January 2014}}</ref>

He was one of the thirteen "leading Stuckists"<ref>, '']''. Retrieved 29 March 2008.</ref> in the ] exhibition at ] gallery in October 2006.

As the 1990s ended and 2000 started Lewis taught courses in mythology for the Kent Children's University (a Kent County Council initiative). The students were aged between 10 and 11 years old.

At the same time he was teaching courses in Myth and Culture and also Creative Writing for Adult Education in Maidstone and on the Isle of Sheppey. It was during one of these sessions on the Isle of Sheppey that future Stuckist painter ] joined the course as a student. Lewis recognized Joe's talent and later introduced him to Billy Childish and Charles Thomson.

He has had a solo show at the Rochester International Photography Festival.<ref name=walkerbill> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011172422/http://liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/exhibitions/stuckists/billlewis.asp |date=11 October 2007 }}, ], ]. Retrieved 6 April 2008.</ref>

In 2011 he had his first major solo exhibition at the Deaf Cat Café and Gallery in Rochester, Kent. This was a very successful show with Lewis selling 17 of the 27 pictures.

In the same year Lewis gave a series of lectures on Myth, Culture and the New Paradigm at the University of Creative Arts in Medway Pop-up Gallery. He also exhibited some of his latest paintings in their shows.

In 2012 he was presented with the Literature Award at the Culture and Design Awards for Medway. This was in recognition, not only of his writing, but also his work in the community mentoring younger artists and promoting art and culture in the Medway area.

In 2017 Lewis become a member of COLONY: A Community of Artists. This group of artists work in a variety of mediums and all have a reputation outside of the group. Their aim is not only to exhibit together but also to support and encourage each other. The group was officially launched in October 2018 at the Halpern Gallery, Chatham, Kent.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nucleusarts.com/exhibition-cal/2018/10/11/the-colony |title=COLONY — Nucleus Arts® |access-date=6 October 2018 |archive-date=6 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006154842/http://www.nucleusarts.com/exhibition-cal/2018/10/11/the-colony |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2020 Bill had some of his poems translated into Italian by Silvia Pio and they were published in the online magazine 'Margutte' Read it here:


==Art== ==Art==
]


His position in art in many ways stands for the Stuckist ethic.<ref name=moss>Moss, Richard. , ], 17 September 2004. Retrieved 24 November 2009.</ref> He is not part of the mainstream art world, and is self-taught&mdash;acknowledging that "experts" may consider that he "can't paint properly"&mdash;yet is confident of the worth of his art: "I do this because I can’t do anything else and I’ve spent 20 years doing it."<ref name=moss/> He says the importance of his work is not in the technique, but "what's underneath it"; he redraws or repaints an image as many as eighty times, until he is satisfied with it.<ref name=milner86/> He names as influences ], ], ], films and comic books.<ref name=milner86/> He has stressed sincerity in art: "People are never sure if we are being ironic or not. We are not. We are coming from the heart."<ref name=moss/> His position in art in many ways stands for the Stuckist ethic.<ref name=moss>Moss, Richard. , ], 17 September 2004. Retrieved 24 November 2009.</ref> He has said "I do this because I can’t do anything else and I’ve spent 20 years doing it."<ref name=moss/> He says the importance of his work is not in the technique, but "what's underneath it"; he redraws or repaints an image as many as eighty times, until he is satisfied with it.<ref name=milner86/> He names as influences ], ], ], films and comic books.<ref name=milner86/> He has been quoted as saying "People are never sure if we are being ironic or not. We are not. We are coming from the heart."<ref name=moss/>


He often uses symbols in his work,<ref name=evans/> frequently imagery from Jewish, Christian and Pagan traditions.<ref name=moss/> A white dog that appears in paintings is a ] figure that indicates the human ]; a blindfold woman, applying make-up, is linked to the ].<ref name=evans/> These symbols are mostly "unconsciously generated" to create "]" paintings.<ref name=evans/> He said of his painting, ''God Is an Atheist: She Doesn't Believe in Me'': He often uses symbols in his work,<ref name=evans/> frequently imagery from Jewish, Christian and Pagan traditions.<ref name=moss/> A white dog that appears in paintings is a ] figure that indicates the human ]; a blindfold woman, applying make-up, is linked to the ].<ref name=evans/> These symbols are mostly "unconsciously generated" to create "]" paintings.<ref name=evans/> He said of his painting, ''God Is an Atheist: She Doesn't Believe in Me'':


<blockquote>"I had this move through Christianity and Judaism towards something else—I'm not quite sure what yet. The woman represents both my idea of holiness and the feminine part of myself, which is my link to the Great Mystery—that otherness that you sense behind things but you don't know what it is. I used to call it God, but now that seems a very lame word. In old paintings the dog would have represented fidelity, but it could also be an anagram of God or a trickster figure who illuminates the human shadow (the buried part of us). None of these things are separate: they only appear separate. My paintings are like a magic mirror in fairy stories. I hold it up to try to see my true likeness. Sometimes it takes me years to work out what the symbols mean. That's why I do them—to try and find out something.<ref name=milner86/>"</blockquote>
]
{{-}}

:I had this move through Christianity and Judaism towards something else&mdash;I'm not quite sure what yet. The woman represents both my idea of holiness and the feminine part of myself, which is my link to the Great Mystery&mdash;that otherness that you sense behind things but you don't know what it is. I used to call it God, but now that seems a very lame word. In old paintings the dog would have represented fidelity, but it could also be an anagram of God or a trickster figure who illuminates the human shadow (the buried part of us). None of these things are separate: they only appear separate. My paintings are like a magic mirror in fairy stories. I hold it up to try to see my true likeness. Sometimes it takes me years to work out what the symbols mean. That's why I do them&mdash;to try and find out something.<ref name=milner86/>


==Books== ==Books==


Lewis has published six books of poetry and three of short stories; he has made five reading tours in the United States and one in ].<ref name=walkerbill/> His writing is included in ''The Green Man'' (Viking Press), World Fantasy Award winner,<ref name=walkerbill/> as well as ''The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror'', 1997 and 1998. His work was published in ''The Grandchildren of Albion'', edited by ].<ref name=sherwin/> Lewis has published seven books of poetry and three of short stories; he has made five reading tours in the United States and one in ].<ref name=walkerbill/> and has read in Europe. His writing is included in ''The Green Man'' (Viking Press), World Fantasy Award winner,<ref name=walkerbill/> as well as ''The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror'', 1997 and 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfsite.com/07b/fant37.htm|title=The SF Site Featured Review: Year's Best Fantasy & Horror, 11th Annual Collection|website=www.sfsite.com}}</ref><ref name=sherwin/>

In 2011 Lewis was published by Greenheart Press and his first book with them 'In The House of Ladders' is a book of poems which also contains six black and white prints by the author. Lewis' second book for Greenheart Press, "In the Long Ago and Eternal Now", was published in January 2017. This also contains black and white pictures by the author and it features several long sequences. Mare Nostrum is a nine part suite of poems that uses the Mediterranean as a metaphor for both the collective and personal unconscious. This sequence has elements of mythology as well as the poet's own personal memories. Another longer piece in the book is called "The Other" and celebrates ''Otherness'' in all of its forms e.g. ethnic, gender, duality.

In 2019 the first volume of Lewis' collected poems was published by Colony Press entitled "This Love Like A Rage Without Anger", Poems 1975–2005. This collection contains the first 30 years of his writing including his 'Medway Suite' and poems written in the Americas.
<ref>{{Cite book|isbn = 978-1-9996948-0-7|title = This Love Like a Rage Without Anger: Poems 1975-2005|last1 = Lewis|first1 = Bill|year = 2019| publisher=Colony Press }}</ref>


==Gallery== ==Gallery==
Line 71: Line 119:
Image:Bill Lewis. Sleeper of Prague.jpg|''Sleeper of Prague'' Image:Bill Lewis. Sleeper of Prague.jpg|''Sleeper of Prague''
Image:Bill Lewis. Night Ride.jpg|''Night Ride'' Image:Bill Lewis. Night Ride.jpg|''Night Ride''
Image:Painting_%22Summer_Ghosts%22_by_Bill_Lewis.jpg |''Summer Ghosts''
Image:%22The_Dream_in_the_Orchard%22_Painting_by_Bill_Lewis.jpg |''The Dream in the Orchard''
Image:Kent_-_Painting_by_Bill_Lewis.jpg | ''Kent''
Image:Rusalka_Print_by_Bill_Lewis.jpg | ''Rusalka''
Image:Field_Print_by_Bill_Lewis.jpg | ''The Field''
Image:He_watches_me_from_the_corner_but_what_is_he_thinking_-_Print_by_Bill_Lewis.jpg | ''He Watches Me From The Corner But What Is He Thinking''
Image:Witched_-_Print_by_Bill_LEwis.jpg | ''Witched''
Image:Kissing_the_Minotaur_-_Painting_by_Bill_Lewis.jpg | ''Kissing the Minotaur''
Image:Nune,_Vodka_and_the_Cat_-_Painting_By_Bill_Lewis.jpg | ''Nune, Vodka and the Cat''
Image:Tricolor_%28North_African_Woman%29_-_Print_by_Bill_Lewis.jpg | ''Tricolor (North African Woman)''
Image:Trickster_-_Print_by_Bill_Lewis.jpg | ''Trickster''
Image:The_Gypsy_and_the_Moon_-_Print_by_Bill_Lewis.jpg | ''The Gypsy and the Moon''
</gallery> </gallery>
], 2003.]]


==See also== ==See also==
{{portal|Poetry}}


*] *]


==References==
== Notes and references==
], 2003.]]

{{reflist}} {{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Commonscat|Bill Lewis}}
* {{official|http://www.billlewis-art.co.uk }}
*
*
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* {{usurped|1=}}
*
*
*Please note that The Medway Delta Press webaddress has changed to: medwaydeltapress.co.uk
* + *
* Walker Gallery Liverpool Victorian Punk Exhibition
*
*
*
* {{usurped|}} + {{usurped|}} NB: Medway Delta Press website is no longer current please see Bill Lewis Official website for further information.
*
*
*


{{Stuckism}} {{Stuckism}}

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Bill}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Bill}}
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Latest revision as of 14:42, 10 January 2025

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Bill Lewis
Lewis in Canterbury, 2013
BornWilliam Lewis
(1953-08-01) 1 August 1953 (age 71)
Maidstone, Kent, England
NationalityBritish
Known forPainting, poetry, fiction
MovementStuckism

William Lewis (born 1 August 1953) is an English artist, story-teller, poet and mythographer. He was a founder-member of The Medway Poets and of the Stuckists art group.

Life and career

Early life

Bill Lewis was born in Maidstone, Kent, England. He attended Westborough Secondary Modern School and left in 1968 with no qualifications. In 1975, with his friend, Rob Earl, he started a series of poetry readings called Outcrowd at the Lamb pub, later renamed Drakes' Crab and Oyster House, by the River Medway in Maidstone. Both Charles Thomson and Billy Childish, the later co-founders of the Stuckists group, read at these events.

1970s

He spent a year unloading trucks in Chiesmans department store in Maidstone, then in 1976 he had a nervous breakdown, attempted suicide and spent three months in Crossfield psychiatric ward, West Malling. 1977–1978, he studied Foundation Art at Medway College of Art and Design, at the same time as Childish and Thomas von Üricht, another future Stuckist.

In 1979, his interest in Berlin Cabaret, combined with the current punk culture, led him to joining up with Childish, Charles Thomson, Sexton Ming, Rob Earl and Miriam Carney to found the anarchic poetry performance group, The Medway Poets, which he named. The group performed in colleges, pubs and festivals, including the international Cambridge Poetry Festival in 1981. It was the subject of a TV South documentary the following year. In Lewis's performances, he "jumped on a chair, threw his arms wide (at least once hitting his head on the ceiling)."

1980s

Sandy Taylor, Bill Lewis, Alicia Partnoy and Adriana Angel - Nicaragua 1989
Darwin J Flakoll (Bud), Bill Lewis and Claribel Alegría - Nicaragua 1989

In 1980, he had a show of paintings at Peter Waite's Rochester Pottery Gallery, as did Thomson, Childish, Sanchia Lewis (no relation) and Sexton Ming, the last two also founder members of the Stuckist group.

1978–82 he was the CSSD Porter at West Kent General Hospital, which provided subject matter for many of his poems at the time. He knew Tracey Emin and helped edit her short stories for her first book, Six Turkish Tales (Hangman books 1987). Since 1982, he has been a full-time artist (though he gave up visual art at this time) with "occasional forays into tomato picking". In 1985, he was appointed as the first writer-in-residence at the Brighton Festival.

During this time he performed at the Kent Literature Festival in Folkestone. His first major collection of poems Rage without Anger was published during this period.

He read and published work on the theme of Human Rights. His poem "Red Guitar" dedicated to the murdered Chilean songwriter Victor Jara, was published in Chilean journals in England and translated into Spanish and published in an underground magazine in Chile.

In 1989 the Nicaraguan poet and storyteller Carlos Rigby invited Lewis to Nicaragua, suggesting he would find the revolution receptive to his poetry. Lewis, with his wife Ann, embarked on a three-month stay in that country. Lewis carried out a series of poetry readings there. Much of his experiences from this journey were later explored in his book The Book of Misplaced but Imperishable Names.

1990s

Sydney Carter and Bill Lewis Walderslade 1991
Bill Lewis with Julie Felix backstage before their performance

During this period that Bill Lewis performed three times with '60s star Julie Felix.

In 1999 he was one of the founding members of the Stuckist art group along with Childish, Thomson and Ming. Lewis has been featured prominently in all the key Stuckist shows. In 2004, he was one of the fourteen "founder and featured" artists in The Stuckists Punk Victorian held at the Walker Art Gallery for the Liverpool Biennial.

In the 1990s Lewis experimented with singing some of his poems often using a frame drum made for him by an American Indian drum maker and also a Native American horn rattle. His sung poems have influences from shamanic, Latin American and middle Eastern tunes and rhythms.

Throughout the 1990s he carried out many poetry reading tours, six on the East Coast of the United States, he also performed (in English) in Paris, France. Many of Lewis' American readings were organized by Professor Robert Parker Sorlien of the University of Rhode Island. Other readings were funded and organized by The Curbstone Press of Connecticut. The last of these readings was at a festival in Willimantic, Connecticut, where Lewis appeared on stage with Claribel Alegría, Naomi Ayala and Luis J. Rodriguez.

During this period several of his short stories were translated and published in German newspapers and magazines. A few of his poems were also translated into Spanish.

2000s and beyond

Bill Lewis (standing, right) with the Stuckists group at the Real Turner Prize Show, 2000
Bill Lewis working in his studio 2011

After co-founding, with Dave Wise, The Urban Fox Press, Lewis went on to found The Medway Delta Press in 2005. The first project was a limited edition set of 3 CDs entitled Voices From The Medway Delta, featuring work by Billy Childish, Sexton Ming, Chris Broderick, Bill Lewis, and other names in the Medway scene. The Medway Delta Press has also published a DVD documentary by Carol Lynn on Stuckism.

He was one of the thirteen "leading Stuckists" in the Go West exhibition at Spectrum London gallery in October 2006.

As the 1990s ended and 2000 started Lewis taught courses in mythology for the Kent Children's University (a Kent County Council initiative). The students were aged between 10 and 11 years old.

At the same time he was teaching courses in Myth and Culture and also Creative Writing for Adult Education in Maidstone and on the Isle of Sheppey. It was during one of these sessions on the Isle of Sheppey that future Stuckist painter Joe Machine joined the course as a student. Lewis recognized Joe's talent and later introduced him to Billy Childish and Charles Thomson.

He has had a solo show at the Rochester International Photography Festival.

In 2011 he had his first major solo exhibition at the Deaf Cat Café and Gallery in Rochester, Kent. This was a very successful show with Lewis selling 17 of the 27 pictures.

In the same year Lewis gave a series of lectures on Myth, Culture and the New Paradigm at the University of Creative Arts in Medway Pop-up Gallery. He also exhibited some of his latest paintings in their shows.

In 2012 he was presented with the Literature Award at the Culture and Design Awards for Medway. This was in recognition, not only of his writing, but also his work in the community mentoring younger artists and promoting art and culture in the Medway area.

In 2017 Lewis become a member of COLONY: A Community of Artists. This group of artists work in a variety of mediums and all have a reputation outside of the group. Their aim is not only to exhibit together but also to support and encourage each other. The group was officially launched in October 2018 at the Halpern Gallery, Chatham, Kent.

In 2020 Bill had some of his poems translated into Italian by Silvia Pio and they were published in the online magazine 'Margutte' Read it here:

Art

Bill Lewis. God Is an Atheist: She Doesn't Believe in Me.

His position in art in many ways stands for the Stuckist ethic. He has said "I do this because I can’t do anything else and I’ve spent 20 years doing it." He says the importance of his work is not in the technique, but "what's underneath it"; he redraws or repaints an image as many as eighty times, until he is satisfied with it. He names as influences Marc Chagall, Paula Rego, Ana Maria Pacheco, films and comic books. He has been quoted as saying "People are never sure if we are being ironic or not. We are not. We are coming from the heart."

He often uses symbols in his work, frequently imagery from Jewish, Christian and Pagan traditions. A white dog that appears in paintings is a trickster figure that indicates the human shadow; a blindfold woman, applying make-up, is linked to the Shekinah. These symbols are mostly "unconsciously generated" to create "magical realist" paintings. He said of his painting, God Is an Atheist: She Doesn't Believe in Me:

"I had this move through Christianity and Judaism towards something else—I'm not quite sure what yet. The woman represents both my idea of holiness and the feminine part of myself, which is my link to the Great Mystery—that otherness that you sense behind things but you don't know what it is. I used to call it God, but now that seems a very lame word. In old paintings the dog would have represented fidelity, but it could also be an anagram of God or a trickster figure who illuminates the human shadow (the buried part of us). None of these things are separate: they only appear separate. My paintings are like a magic mirror in fairy stories. I hold it up to try to see my true likeness. Sometimes it takes me years to work out what the symbols mean. That's why I do them—to try and find out something."

Books

Lewis has published seven books of poetry and three of short stories; he has made five reading tours in the United States and one in Nicaragua. and has read in Europe. His writing is included in The Green Man (Viking Press), World Fantasy Award winner, as well as The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, 1997 and 1998.

In 2011 Lewis was published by Greenheart Press and his first book with them 'In The House of Ladders' is a book of poems which also contains six black and white prints by the author. Lewis' second book for Greenheart Press, "In the Long Ago and Eternal Now", was published in January 2017. This also contains black and white pictures by the author and it features several long sequences. Mare Nostrum is a nine part suite of poems that uses the Mediterranean as a metaphor for both the collective and personal unconscious. This sequence has elements of mythology as well as the poet's own personal memories. Another longer piece in the book is called "The Other" and celebrates Otherness in all of its forms e.g. ethnic, gender, duality.

In 2019 the first volume of Lewis' collected poems was published by Colony Press entitled "This Love Like A Rage Without Anger", Poems 1975–2005. This collection contains the first 30 years of his writing including his 'Medway Suite' and poems written in the Americas.

Gallery

  • The Laughter of Small White Dogs The Laughter of Small White Dogs
  • Friday Friday
  • Holy Spirited Holy Spirited
  • Light Bringers Light Bringers
  • Guitar Woman Snake Guitar Woman Snake
  • Sleeper of Prague Sleeper of Prague
  • Night Ride Night Ride
  • Summer Ghosts Summer Ghosts
  • The Dream in the Orchard The Dream in the Orchard
  • Kent Kent
  • Rusalka Rusalka
  • The Field The Field
  • He Watches Me From The Corner But What Is He Thinking He Watches Me From The Corner But What Is He Thinking
  • Witched Witched
  • Kissing the Minotaur Kissing the Minotaur
  • Nune, Vodka and the Cat Nune, Vodka and the Cat
  • Tricolor (North African Woman) Tricolor (North African Woman)
  • Trickster Trickster
  • The Gypsy and the Moon The Gypsy and the Moon
Lewis's work (4 paintings on the left) in The Stuckists Summer Show, Stuckism International Gallery, 2003.

See also

References

  1. ^ Milner, Frank, ed. The Stuckists Punk Victorian, p. 86, National Museums Liverpool 2004, ISBN 1-902700-27-9. Pages 6–30, Charles Thomson's essay, "A Stuckist on Stuckism", can be found online at stuckism.com.
  2. ^ Milner, p. 8
  3. ^ Evans, Katherine, ed. The Stuckists, p. 6, Victoria Press 2000, ISBN 0-907165-27-3
  4. ^ Milner, p. 9
  5. ^ Sherwin, Brian. "Art Space Talk: Bill Lewis", myartspace.com, 29 December 2006. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  6. Buckman, David, Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945, p. 954, Art Dictionaries, Bristol, 2006, ISBN 0-9532609-5-X
  7. "Lewis, William Edward", International Who’s Who in Poetry 2005, 13th Edition. Retrieved online from BookRags, 17 September 2009.
  8. "The Stuckists Punk Victorian", Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  9. "Go West", The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 March 2008.
  10. ^ "Bill Lewis" Archived 11 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  11. "COLONY — Nucleus Arts®". Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  12. ^ Moss, Richard. "Stuckist's Punk Victorian Gatecrashes Walker's Biennial", Culture24, 17 September 2004. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
  13. "The SF Site Featured Review: Year's Best Fantasy & Horror, 11th Annual Collection". www.sfsite.com.
  14. Lewis, Bill (2019). This Love Like a Rage Without Anger: Poems 1975-2005. Colony Press. ISBN 978-1-9996948-0-7.

External links

Media related to Bill Lewis at Wikimedia Commons

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