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. Both Charles Thomson and Billy Childish, the later co-founders of the Stuckists group, read at these events.
1970s
From 1968 to 1975 he worked in a warehouse at Pricerite Supermarket.
He spent a year unloading trucks for Cheesman's department store in Maidstone, then in 1976 he had a nervous breakdown, attempted suicide and spent three months in Crossfield psychiatric ward, West Malling. In Lewis's performances, he "jumped on a chair, threw his arms wide (at least once hitting his head on the ceiling)." 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
thumb|175px|Sydney Carter and Bill Lewis Walderslade 1991
<!-- Deleted image removed: thumb|175px|Bill Lewis and Matthew Fox, Cardiff 1992 -->
thumb|175px|Bill Lewis with Julie Felix backstage before their performance
During this period 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 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 his reading tours of the USA he was asked to lecture on Mythology and Culture to ARIL (Association for Religion in Intellectual Life) at the University of Rhode Island and he gave a guest lecture on the Trickster Archetype to the Social Anthropology Club at the University of Eastern Connecticut which was set up by Dr. Tom Beardsley. He also gave story telling sessions in kindergartens in Rhode Island.
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
thumb|175px|Bill Lewis (standing, right) with the [[Stuckism|Stuckists group at the Real Turner Prize Show, 2000]]
thumb|175px|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 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: [http://www.margutte.com/?p=33035&fbclid=IwAR0DFORCaRoz3IUCJWrMIZvOexQMlcQFQYkGo9_Mu3S_xRpGeGsVQAoXYGs]
In 2023 Lewis had a retrospective of his art work entitled Bill Lewis at 70 at The Halpern Gallery in Chatham, Kent.
Art
thumb|left|175px|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."
2022 saw the publication of “Sparrowhawk and other poems” published by Colony Press which contained all the poems since the Greenheart Press publications.
In March 2025 Goat Star Books published the first bilingual (Spanish/English) book of Bill’s poems entitled “The Shaman Poet/El Poeta Chamán” which was launched with a poetry reading tour of six cities in Spain with Bill and his translator Rafael Peñas Cruz. The English launch was at The Rainham Poetry Festival (Kent).
Gallery
<gallery>
Image:Bill Lewis. The Laughter of Small White Dogs.jpg|The Laughter of Small White Dogs
Image:Bill Lewis. Friday.jpg|Friday
Image:Bill Lewis. Holy Spirited.jpg|Holy Spirited
Image:Bill Lewis. Light Bringers.jpg|Light Bringers
Image:Bill Lewis. Guitar, Woman, Snake.jpg|Guitar Woman Snake
Image:Bill Lewis. Sleeper of Prague.jpg|Sleeper of Prague
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>
thumb|Lewis's work (4 paintings on the left) in The Stuckists Summer Show, [[Stuckism International Gallery, 2003.]]
See also
- Medway scene
References
External links
- Richard Bledsoe article for the Remodern Review
- Artist Page (Facebook)
- Bill Lewis work on the Stuckism web site
- Walker Gallery Liverpool Victorian Punk Exhibition [https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/walker-art-gallery/exhibition/stuckists-punk-victorian#section--the-exhibition]
- BBC audio interview at The Stuckists Punk Victorian show, 2004
- Bill Lewis poem, "Therapy Room"
- + NB: Medway Delta Press website is no longer current please see Bill Lewis Official website for further information.
- Interview and gallery
- JoMA Archives: Poetry Journal of Mythic Arts Poetry Archive features some Bill Lewis Poetry
- Colony Arts - Chatham - Artistic Painting - Photography - Ceramics