Tim Lewis

TIM LEWIS (b 1961) 

Tim Lewis's unique kinetic sculptural works create other-worldly encounters between organic matter and industrial processes. Although Lewis is well-known for his mechanical and moving sculptures, he also engages in complex drawings, maquettes, miniatures and small static sculptures. His rotating and operating works are often activated by the viewer through electric pedals or lever handles, bringing them to life, choreographing inorganic materials to mimic the movements of the human and animal anatomy.  

Lewis has been exhibiting his epigrammatic and distinguished works since the 1980s, pushing the boundaries of conventions and protocols of the medium, studying motion and how to reproduce the organic form of both humans and animals, blurring the lines of reality and imagination, as well as the natural and mechanical.  

Lewis has been influenced by science fiction, including the American writer Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) and Polish writer Stanislaw Lem (1921-2006) who both wrote about futurology, perception, human nature, and philosophy. During his childhood Lewis was interested in 18th century automata, inspired by both their production and their intricate craftsmanship. Around the age of thirteen, he began creating robots that resembled dogs. These first robots were encouraged by the zoologist Sir James Gray (1891-1975) who analysed animal movement in accordance with mechanical principles. 

Tim Lewis has steadily built an accumulation of characters who he regularly depicts, changing and expanding their actions and personalities. His visual lexicon allows for unconventional outcomes of display and variance in the collection of movements and sounds.

Although Lewis has worked with digital technology, the quintessence of his practice remains mechanistic. He employs pulleys, motors, wheels, pin hinges, chains, springs, batteries, metal, wood and fiberglass to create his creatures. The world where these characters live is a parallel realm to ours, as vulnerable as ours, encompassing obstacles which may appear both tragic and comical. The sculptures of Tim Lewis unsettle in their amalgamation of components, in their display, and in the contemplation they evoke.  

For his 2023-2024 exhibition, The Forest Visits at Flowers, Tim Lewis explored zoomorphic works, made from repurposed found objects and materials, including discarded Christmas trees and a garden hoe. He endowed objects with properties they do not inherently possess, creating new beings that demand their own comprehension, allowing them to be reborn and calling the viewer to action to engage with them.  

Tim Lewis was born in England in 1961 and graduated from the Royal College of Art in London in 1987. His work has been exhibited internationally and is included in public collections including the Arts Council of Great Britain, the British Council, and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, England. The artist lives and works in London.