LEWIS

Percy Wyndham Lewis was the prime mover behind the Vorticist movement. He had previously organised the Rebel Art Centre in Great Ormond Street and had also been agitating constantly for an indigenous art style. He saw that the continent was gaining ground with Futurism and Cubism, and Britain was being left behind.

He was born on his parents' yacht off Newfoundland in 1882. He attended the Slade School of Art 1898-1901. After this he went to Paris, to paint alongside friend and Slade veteran, Augustus John. Joined Action Francais (a proto-fascist group). When in Paris, he probably saw Picasso's early 'primitive' works (Les Mesdames d'Avignon of 1909 etc).

After his European travels, he stayed in England from around 1910, and started building the network of friends and allies that allowed him to launch the Vorticist art movement in June 1914. The movement's manifesto and guiding principles were enshrined in the periodical BLAST, which ran to two editions, one in each year, 1914 and 1915. He published and edited both. He also wrote the majority of the content.

After a period of illness in late 1914-early 1915, he joined the Royal Artillery as a Bombardier. He neither endeavoured to gain an officership or join the war artists. He wanted to be associated with the biggest and most dramatic machines of war at that time: the big guns. Later he was transferred to the War Artists battalion and was made up to officer, after being constantly pushed to do so by his art allies. (Hearing of the death of hist great friend Hulme at a nearby battery was probably the factor that made his mind up). In this group he met again his old friend Augustus John.

After the war, Lewis the soldier and artist returned to a different Britain: after the war, and social revolution in Russia and other states, it lacked the stomach for belligerent art manifestos and rebel art movements. He moved to literature as a creative outlet, whilst painting portraits to pay the rent (though he had to move due to non payment at leastonce).

After a period of depression and public disapproval of his apparent support of Hitler he moved to Canada. He returned to metaphysical art works in the 1930's, while his health started to decline.

After the Second Workd War, he returned to London. His declining health took its toll; he began go go blind. He busied himself painting, drawing, writing and the occassional appearance on radio. Ever the revolutionary, he tried to halt the building of the North Circular, in whose path he dwelt. He was the last person to vacate his block of flats before demolition. Sadly, his removal was on a stretcher, due to bad health. He went to hospital, where he died in 1957.

Lewis is our most important Modernist of the first half of the 20th Century. His greatest achievements include his art output, his writing, and his organisation of the first truly British modern art movement.