John Lyons (poet)

John Lyons (born October 1933) is a Trinidad-born poet, painter, illustrator, educator and curator."John Lyons"
Diaspora Artists. He has worked as a theatre designer, exhibition adviser and as a teacher both of visual art and creative writing. As an art critic, he has written essays for catalogues, notably for Denzil Forrester's major touring exhibition ''Dub Transition'', for ''Jouvert Print Exhibition'' and Tony Phillips' ''Jazz and The Twentieth Century''."About John — Visual CV"
John Lyons website.

Public collections that hold artwork by John Lyons include Rochdale Art Gallery, Huddersfield Art Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum's Word & Image Print Collection and the Arts Council National Collection.

His collections of poetry have been described both as being focused on "describing the texture of the Caribbean landscape and the vividness of its peoples" and contributing "to the enrichment of the West Indian British voice".

Biography

John Lyons was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. His mother died when he was nine years old, and he and his three siblings moved to live with their grandmother in rural Tobago."About John Lyons"
The Poetry Archive. He returned to Trinidad in 1948 to live with his father and stepmother.

He eventually moved to London, England, and from 1959 to 1964 studied at Goldsmiths' College, School of Art, graduating with a National Diploma of Design, after which he gained an Art Teachers' Diploma at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1965–65) to teach art as a specialist subject."Artist Interview: John Lyons"
Atelier Contemporary Art, March 2014. While studying without a grant, he supported himself through part-time jobs that included being an early morning factory cleaner, evening waiter, postman and shift-work hospital porter.
Moving Manchester – Writers' Gallery.

Teaching

His first job was at South Shields Grammar Technical School for Boys, and in 1967 he moved to Manchester, where he worked in secondary schools for nine years, before becoming an Art and Design Lecturer in South Trafford College. While teaching there for 17 years, he continued painting and writing. He was a part-time creative writing lecturer at the then Bolton Institute of Higher Education (now the University of Bolton), between 1991 and 1998, and has been an Arvon Foundation tutor at various times since 1991.

Painting

Lyons has been exhibiting his paintings since the 1960s, and describes his approach to picture making by saying: "I enter into a playful dialogue with the work in which line, shape, texture and vibrant colour are brought together to inhabit a theme usually based on Caribbean folklore and mythology." He was a participant in the recent exhibition '' No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990'' at the Guildhall Art Gallery (10 July 2015 to 24 January 2016), which took inspiration from the radical lives of Guyanese activists Eric and Jessica Huntley and the publishing company they founded, Bogle-L'Ouverture.

Writing

Lyons' first book, ''Lure of the Cascadura'' was published by Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications in 1989, since when his writing has appeared in many publications, including anthologies for children, and several full collections of poetry. His recent book for younger readers, ''Dancing in the Rain'' (2015), illustrated by the author himself, was shortlisted for the 2016 Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award (CliPPA), the only award for published poetry for children."CLiPPA Poetry Award 2016: An interview with John Lyons"
Playing by the book, 17 June 2016. Described by the judges as "a breath of fresh air", the collection draws inspiration from Lyons' childhood in Trinidad and Tobago, drawing inspiration from the traditions of Carnival and calypso.

Also an accomplished cook, he combined recipes, verse and illustrations in ''Cook-up in a Trini Kitchen'' (Peepal Tree Press, 2009), "a highly original cookbook that can be read in the way you’d read a collection of short stories. It’s peppered with anecdotes, and the colourful illustrations are a joy to behold. Lyons describes the book as an 'explosion' of his three passions rt, poetry and food"

As a poet, Lyons has read his work widely, appearing at festivals within the UK and abroad, and has made a number of broadcasts on radio and television, as well as featuring in audio archives. He has participated in many conferences and workshops, nationally and internationally, and over the years has received won many honours and accolades,"About John — Literary CV"
John Lyons website. including in 2003 the Windrush Arts Achiever Award.

Among several essays he has written for exhibition catalogues, he contributed a much quoted text, "Denzil Forrester's Art in Context" to accompany the 1990–91 Denzil Forrester exhibition ''Dub Transition: A Decade of Paintings 1980 - 1990''.

Community work

John Lyons co-founded (with writer Jean Rees, to whom he is married) and was a trustee of the Hebden Bridge community arts charity Hourglass Educational Arts Development Services (HEADS), 2000–2010, for which he ran weekly art classes at the Hourglass Studio Gallery as resident artist.

Selected exhibitions

;Solo
*2015: ''John Lyons'', Hot Number, Cambridge.
*2013: ''Mythlore'', The Apex Gallery, Bury St Edmunds.
*2010: Selected Mini Retrospective from 1964 to 1984, Williams Art Cambridge.
*2009: ''Chimera'', Needhams Restaurant and Art Gallery.
*2006: Diorama Art Centre Gallery, London.
*2005: 3Cups Gallery, Ely, Cambridgeshire.
*2002: ''In the Terrain of the Psyche'', Hourglass Studio Gallery, Hebden Bridge.
*2000: Theatr Ardudwy, Harlech
*1999: ''Ovation'', Rochdale Art Gallery.
*1998: ''Daydreaming'', Lawrence Batley Gallery, West Bretton.
*1997: ''Mythopoeia'', a major touring exhibition from Wrexham Art Centre.
*1992–94: ''Behind The Carnival''; a major touring exhibition, Huddersfield Art Gallery.
*1994: Galway Arts Centre, Republic of Ireland.
*1991: Castle Museum, Nottingham.
*1990: Salford Museum and Art Gallery.

;Mixed / group
*2015: '' No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990'', Guildhall Art Gallery, City of London.
*2015: ''Spirit of Carnival'', Upper Gallery, The Plough, Shepreth.
*2010: ''Atelier Contemporary'', Cambridge City Art Fair.
*2013: ''Blue Contemporary'', Cambridge City Art Fair.
*2010: ''Art To Die For'', CAM at Williams Art Cambridge.
*2009: ''Ever After The Honey'', Clare Hall, Cambridge University.
*2009: Ovenden Contemporary Art Group Exhibition, The Old Palace, Ely.
*2009: Hills Road Exhibition, Cambridge.
*2007: Upper Gallery, Home Affairs, Cambridge Open Studios Artists.
*1998: ''Evocation'': Hourglass Studio Gallery.
*1995: ''Caribbean Connections'', Islington Art Factory, London.
*1995: ''Vibrant Energies'', (with Tang Lin), Chinese Art Centre. Manchester
*1990: ''Let The Canvas Come To Life With Dark Faces'', Arts Council sponsored touring exhibition.
*1989: ''Jouvert'' Print Exhibition. The Paddington Print Project, a major touring exhibition.
*1988: ''Black Art: Plotting The Course''. Arts Council-sponsored touring exhibition.
*1986: ''Caribbean Expressions in Britain'', Leicester Art Gallery.
*1982: The Hayward Annual, Southbank Centre, London.
*1982: Edison Galerie, The Hague, Netherlands.
*1979: Galerie du Musee des Duncans, Paris.

Selected bibliography

;Poetry
*2015: ''Dancing in the Rain'' (poems for younger readers), Peepal Tree Press.
*2015: ''A Carib Being in Cymru'', Smith/Doorstop Books.
*2009: ''Cook-up in a Trini Kitchen'' (poems and Caribbean recipes), Peepal Tree Press.
*2009: ''No Apples in Eden'', Smith/Doorstop Books.
*2002: ''Voices from a Silk-Cotton Tree'', Smith/Doorstop Books.
*1994: ''Behind the Carnival'', Smith/Doorstop Books.
*1991: ''The Sun Rises in the North'', Smith/Doorstop Books.
*1989: ''Lure of the Cascadura'', Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications.

Awards and accolades

*2016: ''Dancing in the Rain'' shortlisted for CLPE children's poetry award (CliPPA)Emily Drabble
"CLPE children's poetry award shortlist 2016 announced – in pictures"
''The Guardian'', 12 May 2016.
*2003: Windrush Arts Achiever Award
*1991: Peterloo Poets Afro-Caribbean, Asian Poetry Prize
*1991: Arts Council Literary Award (for ''Lure of the Cascadura'')
*1988: Equal second prize (shared with Jackie Kay), Peterloo Afro-Caribbean, Asian Poetry Prize
*1987: Second prize, Cultureword Poetry Competition
*1987: Peterloo Poets Afro-Caribbean, Asian Poetry Prize
*1987: Commended, National Poetry Competition for "Ham Bone and Tidal Waves"
*1987: Highly commended, Peterloo Poets Poetry Competition for "Skin, Skin Is Me, Yuh Na Know Meh"

References

External links

Official website.

"Artist Interview: John Lyons"
Atelier Contemporary Art, March 2014.

John Lyons page
Peepal Tree Press.
* John Lyons
"Why music is the beating heart of my poetry"
''The Guardian'', 14 June 2016.

"John Lyons"
at Poetryline, National Poetry Centre for Primary Schools.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyons, John
1933 births
Living people
20th-century British artists
20th-century British poets
20th-century male writers
21st-century British artists
21st-century male artists
Black British artists
Black British writers
People from Port of Spain
Trinidad and Tobago artists
Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United Kingdom
Trinidad and Tobago male writers
Trinidad and Tobago poets