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Joseph James Lewis (Joe Lewis) was born in Paris, Ontario, Canada, he is the 6th child in a family of 9 children. As soon as he could hold a crayon without sticking it up his nose or in his mouth he was given a pile of paper, sat on the floor in front of the TV (off to side as to not block the view) and left to his own devices. Nothing much has changed.
Coming later or this may be it. They are hard to write simply because the reasons for making change and making art as a substitute for the lack of a (and here i quote Nancy Mitford from Love in a Cold Climate) "A properly organized sex life" is possibly one,
You can find out about certain aspects of my passion for making work with fibre/ textiles and working for the larger textile arts world in this article which you can open on-line "Beyond the Studio, Joe Lewis: Holding the Torch High". by Graham McCracken Fibre Focus Autumn 2010, Volume 53, Number 3
http://www.velvethighway.com/Joelewis/Beyond%20the...
there is a more recent interview with British writer/ publisher/ gay art activist John Hopper in his publication/ blog "Inspirational" He did a special issue "Man /Body/ Fibre" where he sent out questions to 6 artists: Anthony Stevens, Cos Ahmet, Joe Lewis, James Fox, Luke Haynes, Stewart Kelly. He left us to our own devices and published our responses to the questions unedited. It makes for an interesting read. However you can read the questions but to read the answers you have to buy the issue for $6.99 US just follow this link
http://thetextileblog.blogspot.ca/p/inspirational-...
I will get back to writing an artist statement at some point
220 Oak Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 2E1
e-mail fibre_quarterly@yahoo.ca
Education: Self taught, BA incomplete Trent University 1984-85
Solo Exhibitions
2015 Not Born in a Trunk, Rayns Premises National Historic Site, Church Street Festival Bonnavista, Newfoundland,
2012 White (collar) Work, Station House Coffee Shop and Gallery, Via Rail Station, Brantford On.
2002 Yukon Sketches, OR, Guild Hall, Whitehorse, YT
2000 Velvet Highway and Other Journeys, Material Matters, Toronto, On.
1999 Patchwork; Reconstructing the personal, Artspace, Peterborough, On.
1997 Construction, part two, Cameron Public House, Toronto On
part one, College Street Bar, Toronto, On.
1996Surface, part two, Eye Of The Storm, Toronto, On.
part one, Street City Bikes, Toronto, On.
Land Weather Family,part three, Myxed Media Art Gallery, Calgary, AB.
1995Land Weather Family,part two, Visual Arts Ontario, Toronto, On.
part one, Caffe Senator, Toronto, On.
1994Flight, Cameron, Public House, Toronto, On.
Baroquecoco Trash, Bloomsberries Clothing and Art, Toronto, On.
1993Story, Express Café, Toronto, On.
1992 New Work, part two, La Hacienda, Toronto, On.
part one, Express Café, Toronto, On.
1991Land (e)scape Memory, Levity, Toronto, On.
The Nancy Ward/Residency Project, Artspace, Peterborough, On.
Reference, Cameron Public House, Toronto, On.
1990Flowers and Other Things, Express Café, Toronto, On.
1989Pain, Cameron Public House, Toronto, On.
Confessions of a caffeine addict, Rivoile, Toronto, On.
1988Dirt, The Extra Space, Toronto, On.
New Work, Broadview Gallery, Peterborough, On.
Myth and Object, The Rainbow Room, Toronto, On.
Barbie's Dream House, Artspace, Peterborough, On
1987Juggery, Trent University Women's Centre, Peterborough, On.
1986The Barbie Show, part four, Tulip Café, Paris On..
part three, The Rainbow Room, Toronto, On.
part two, Peter Robinson College, Trent University, Peterborough, On.
1985 The Barbie Show, part one, Metropol Espresso Bar, Calgary, AB.
Selected Group Shows
2016 I Get Weak From The Good Stuff Curator: Dorian Katz on Visual AIDS
2015 Proud to be Positive, Curator: Mark S. King on Visual AIDS
Buscando Hogan, Curator: Tamara Oyola Santiago, on Visual AIDS
2012 Variegated Threads, Curated by Dawne Rudman and Gareth Bate, Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre, Oakville, Ontario, Canada,
2011Fibremen International, Kherson Local Lore Museum, Kherson, Ukraine October 18-29 presented by "Scythia" Textiles
2010 Telling Tails: Woven Narrative Textiles: by Joe Lewis and Kathy Schicker Berkeley Castle Gallery, Toronto Ontario
2007 pieceWORK. Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, On.
2006Stocking Stuffers, Pentimento Fine Arta Gallery, Toronto, On
2000Foundations' Peterborough Arts Umbrella, Peterborough On.
1998Instant, Olivia Thompson Gallery, Toronto, On.
1996Wear, object referencing the body, Truck Gallery, Calgary, AB.
1995New Land, Daniel B. Sponagle Gallery, Toronto, On.
1994Home, South Logan Salvage, Rescue, Scarp and Art, Toronto, On.
Curated by Garth Barriere
Middlemarch, Arts and Letters Club, Toronto, On.
Organized by the Literary Press Group
1992AIDS Memorial Show, A Space, Toronto, On.
Curated by Clamorous Intentions
1991Images For Life, Evelyn Amis Gallery, Toronto, On.
Curated by Spencer Row
1990Raw Fantasies, Artefect, Toronto, On.
Curated by Philip Carins
1989October Rage, The Extra Space, Toronto, On.
Curated by Michael Allen
1988No Bill C-52, Weller Potovsky Gallery, Toronto, On.
The Erotic Show, Artefect, Toronto, On.
1987The Exchange Show,part three, Artspace, Peterborough, On.
1986The Exchange Show,part two, SAW Gallery, Ottawa, On.
part one, K.A.A.I., Kingston, On.
Peterborough selection Curated by David Beirk
The X-Mass Show, Gallery 101, Ottawa, On.
Curated by Dennis Tourbin
1985Taking stock, The Next Wave, Artspace, Peterborough, On.
Curated by David Beirk.
Articles and Reviews:
"Man /Body/ Fibre" Inspirational Plus interview with John Hopper
“Fibremen International: Exhibition Sampler”, fibreQUARTERLY, Volume 7 Issue 3, Fall 2011
Joe Lewis Jacquard Weaver by Graham McCracken:download from the OHS website,
http://www.ohs.on.ca/files/8113/2081/4645/Joe_Lewi... is a download from the website,
"Beyond the Studio, Joe Lewis: Holding the Torch High. by Graham McCracken Fibre Focus Autumn 2010, Volume 53, Number 3pg. 29
Telling Tales, Textile Forum 2/2010 June pg.10
Joe Lewis rides the Jacquard Wave by Christoffer Jones, Live With Culture April 8 2010
''Queen West'' Garth Barriere, Extra, Feb. 21, 1992
''Artistic Cabaret'' Chris Corrigan, Peterborough, Examiner, Jul.5 1991
''Expressive...'' Lisa Lowe, Arthur, Sept. 20 1988
''Hard Questions'' Andrew McPhail, Extra, no.107, Aug. 1988
''Home Unstable'' Jake Baken, Arthur, Vol.22 no.6 Oct. 1987
''...some funny'' Lloyd Dykk, The Vancouver Sun, Sept. 17 1987
''...crowd baffled'' Neal Watson, The Edmonton Sun, Aug.20 1987
''Where you going'' James Adam, The Edmonton Journal, Aug. 21 1987
''...Comes to town'' Garth Barriere, Go Info, Dec. 1986
''Barbie Doll'' Martha, Tancock, Peterborough Examiner, Jan. 17, 1986
''lewis vision...'' Catherine Jenkins, Arthur, TrentUniversity student paper, Vol. 4 no. 12, 1983