Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Lewis.
Hi Jack, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began drawing and painting the house we would stay in, or immediate environment, every time we went on holiday as kids. It began with my grandfather – who was a painter – whom mentored me in painting in these early stages. I realized there was a small amount of talent there and an even larger passion for art, something which I felt I could nurture into a larger whole. My art teacher at high school had a reputation for not being very nice, but she took a liking to me and pushed me into painting and printmaking. I remember her being a huge influence and inspiration, cementing the idea that I wanted to pursue this subject further at art school once I graduated. Upon completing my final examinations at 18, I took an art foundation course at Chelsea College of Art & Design in London, a year of art making basically learning as many different skills as possible, before completing a Bachelor in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, specializing in painting.
I moved from London to Manchester shortly after at 22, sharing a small studio near the city centre, and started working in the film industry for the art department to pay my way and get by. Eventually four years later, when leaving Manchester to return to London and the possibility of home again at 26, was the moment I decided I wanted to move to Los Angeles. My father was American but died when I was 2yrs old – so I always had dual citizenship – and felt it was time to make the move to the States because I essentially could! No questions asked.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As mentioned, I up’d sticks and paintbrushes and made the move in 2013 from England to California. I had dual nationality – both American and English passports – so the journey itself was easy, but once I arrived and settled in Venice Beach initially, it definitely felt like a reset. I arrived with the passport, a backpack and a couple of hundred bucks, determined to make it work.
I began working at Venice Beach hostel – a 4hr shift a day provided a free bed and roof over my head so it was a start! My first job was for American Apparel at their old downtown facility soon after, so making that journey by bus, train and foot began to take its toll with no car! Luckily it was short-lived and I eventually found a contact into the film and television industry here in LA, something which I had already had some experience working at in England before arriving Stateside. Again working for the art dept, with a car at this point, I was fortunate enough to join the union for set decoration which provided me with health insurance and some financial stability to make it work and pursue my dreams. At least now I could afford a studio which was something I hadn’t had for the first few years upon arriving in California.
A pretty heavy smoker for much of my adult life. In 2019, I found out I had stage 1 throat cancer which ranks up there in terms of life struggles and unexpected challenges! It completely changed my life. I began to look after my body, work out and most importantly, give up smoking. Weirdly, I had to step away from painting for a while, not only because I was ill and needed treatment but also because I realized that painting for me, was so intrinsically intertwined with smoking. It definitely gave me a new lease on life, and even though I feel this experience hasn’t entered my work physically – in terms of subject matter – it definitely finds itself in there emotionally. There is a determination now, which perhaps I never had previously, that you can do everything and achieve anything if you put your mind to it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Aside from being an artist & painter, I work as a set decorator for the film and television industry. This job entails not only keeping track of the budget, but more importantly a responsibility for bringing the sets to life and some character not only to the project, but also each actor. From lighting, fabrics, artwork, chairs, tables, and couches, etc – you name it – the set decorator’s main responsibility lies in the creative selection of all the props and set dressing you see on a set. Much like an interior designer, I guess except our work doesn’t stay up for that long!
In this way, you are constantly creating images – (24 frames a second if you break it down logically. lol) – and although 3D in reality, the 2Dimensionality of every frame of film I feel is very close to each painting for me. With every set and image, I am constantly thinking about color, negative space, balance, and tones – trying to achieve a harmonious and balanced composition of elements in a larger whole. So in essence, I try not to separate my film work from my painting work. For me, one couldn’t exist without the other.
My commercial resume as a decorator includes work for brands such as Mcdonalds, Facebook & Apple to more recent TV shows such as The Bachelor, Hunters (Season 2) on Amazon Prime and History of the World Part II – a Mel Brooks-produced TV show for Hulu that came out in March 2023
With regards to my painting, I used to burn the candle at both ends and head to the studio to paint after working 12 – 14 hr TV days but began to feel this was detrimental to both sides of the creative coin so I like to separate my time a little more now. In terms of subject matter – my paintings and collages inhabit vast open spaces populated by isolated figures and various objects. Using stylistic images of 1950s Americana as a platform for my paintings, I also appropriate these images into mixed media collages, adopting the content and content of the original images (Mostly 1950s Arizona Highway magazines) to convey my own poignant meanings.
By negotiating my American and European roots, symbols of the archetypal ‘Hero’ emerge, as Cowboys, Red Indians, Lone Rangers, Matadors and other Western motifs, which I set against seemingly dislocated yet familiar landscapes.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Most recently, I collaborated with a close friend & artist to curate an exhibition of 19 artists from around the world, including myself, in a group show called Post-Human III. We launched the show at the same time as Frieze LA to maximize exposure and bring as many visitors to the space as possible. Curating and collaborating in this way is something I would like to focus more time to in the future as I feel it’s a great way to get as more people through the doors, highlighting not just your own work but the work of others. More and more people are working together collaboratively, especially in creative spheres – whether it be shoe design, clothing, music, etc. which I feel it is a particularly Gen-Z way of doing things today which Millennials like myself need to catch up to. Particularly with regard to having more of an online presence in this social media world we have created. It brings more elements and interest to the table.
Artists today now need agents/managers as well as gallerists. Someone who can suggest collaborations and collaborators, take over the content creation on your social media, inform you of new avenues and ways to expose your work. Aside from making the work itself – whether painting, sculpture, performance or video work – management of all these other areas needs to be a large part of one’s practice too. I feel as artists, we don’t have the time – or necessarily the interest – to be able to do it all ourselves. So support in this way would be very beneficial to all of you aspiring talent managers and agents – maybe a pivot into the art world and artist representation would be as fulfilling and potentially more profitable down the line!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jacklewisstudio.com
- Instagram: @jacklewisstudio
- Other: linktr.ee/jacklewisstudio
Image Credits
Kate Berry @Katebe_ (Photographer) Tobias Ross-Southall @Tobias_r_s (Artist, Film maker & Curator)
