University gallery stages pioneering show of 'lost genius' US artist

The university's Centre for Contemporary Arts spotlights an outstanding artist who died from cancer in 2013 at the age of 53, having never had an exhibition of his work. However, a posthumous retrospective at White Columns in New York in 2014 led to New York Times critic Roberta Smith writing: ‘Genius lands where genius will, and... some alighted on Bill Lynch’. That judgement was echoed this month by The Observer's art critic Laura Cumming, who hailed the Brighton show as a coup, highlighting perhaps 'The greatest American artist you've never heard of'.

Brighton CCA puts the showcasing of new and undiscovered work at the heart of its programming, and its artistic director Ben Roberts has been keen to create a show of Lynch's paintings since his first glimpse of them at a commercial gallery in Berlin eight years ago.

Bill Lynch

Bill Lynch picture, taken by Abigail Sanderson

The Brighton CCA exhibition - titled The Exile of Dionysus - focuses on the artist's interest in ancient cultures, mythology and art history. Lynch chose to paint directly onto salvaged scrap wood, whose knots and imperfections he incorporated into the work. His subjects were often from nature - birds, animals, trees, landscapes - sometimes infused with elements of traditional Chinese painting. As Lynch said of his own paintings, "The idea is to give a glimpse at another world... by close examination of this one."

Ben Roberts, Artistic Director at Brighton CCA, said: "As a young man Lynch arrived to study at Cooper Union in New York around 1978, and was described by his friend, the artist Verne Dawson: ‘He radiated a physical energy that was incandescent'. The exhibition title is a reference to the Greek god of wine, parties, theatre, harvest, madness and ecstasy.

"Lynch was a powerful force, but during his time in New York, he lived on the fringes – social, passionate, a huge fan of rock 'n' roll and dedicated to his work, but never embraced by the New York art world of the 1970s and 80s. But interest in Bill's work has rightly been growing in recent years, and we're very fortunate to have been able to work with his Estate to present this exhibition featuring many works which have never been seen before."

The Exile of Dionysus exhibition of paintings by Bill Lynch continues at University of Brighton's CCA Gallery, 58–67 Grand Parade, Brighton BN2 0JY, until 15 October 2022.