I was born in Loughborough England in 1947 and grew up and attended schools in Coventry England from 1948 until 1963.
When I was sixteen I sacrificed an opportunity to pursue a career in art to play music which took me through the 1960’s and 70’s. Because of my adventures in music I feel the art I now create has a strength, timbre and vibrancy it may not have had if I had chosen to take a different path.
I moved to Minneapolis in 1985 and founded Magus Books in 1992.
I have been especially influenced by the works of Jean Delville, Fernand Khnopff and Fin-de-siecle art movement, known as the symbolists, of late 19th century France.
This movement, drawing its inspiration from the world of myth and dreams, would appear to be in total contradiction to the environment that gave it birth, the rise of European industrialization.
However, I would argue it is the weaving of these extremes that is manifesting a matrix that is the future of humanity.
I feel the following review by Rod Smith is a fitting representation of where my art philosophy and technique stands.
Nobody deserves the 'outsider' tag more than Roger Williamson. Completely self-taught, mysteriously moved in his 40's to take up the brush, gloriously isolated from mainstream curatorial prerogatives--the founder and proprietor of Magus Books and Herbs paints for no one but himself. Even if every other mammal stepped off the planet, he'd almost surely go on doing his Muses' dirty work. Yet the artist hasn't a single naive bone in his body. And while (the odd portrait excepted) he strictly depicts images from his own rich inner life, Williamson, like the universe itself, loathes stasis. Wanderlust and constant self-transformation figure in every aspect of the UK transplant's life, from his ongoing exploration of ceremonial magic, shamanism, and a few dozen related disciplines to his nine published books--but they're the driving forces behind the oils and pastels. Equally adept at tweaking received themes and representing newly broached regions of his deepest psyche, Williamson defies cookie-cutter assumptions about visionary artists simply by following his heart. Neither prophet nor poet the painter most often finds (and/or loses) himself playing journalist/spy in some of quantum reality's diciest opportunity zones, intent on bringing us everything Prometheus didn't.
He is the author of The Sun at Night, Labyrinth: Tales of a Rite of Passage, Lucifer's: A Basic Handbook of Luciferian Sorcery, The Black Book of the Jackal, On The Arrival of the Machine, Calling up the Spirits, Howling at the Sky, Lucifer Diaries and The Tarot of the Morning Star 22 card deck and book.
