PROJECT 1: VAGRANCY.

'THE LYNCH'
52 3/4 x 37 inches. Oil on canvas.
PROJECT: VAGRANCY
Private Collection.

In 1973 a small book on the theme of Vagrancy, written by Lenkiewicz, was published parallel to the opening of the Vagrancy Exhibition in a large derelict building on The Barbican, known at that time as 'Jacob's Ladder'. The book was introduced by an essay titled: Melancholy, the 'Dance of Death'and Fool Symbolism, in relation to Vagrancy. In this essay Lenkiewicz associated contemporary Vagrancy with a tradition that pre-dates Diirer's brooding figure of 'Melancholia'. Hieronimo, in Kyd's 'Spanish Tragedy declaims on melancholy:

"There is a path upon your left hand side, that leadeth from a guilty conscience unto a forest of distrust and fear, A darksome place and dangerous to pass: There shall you meet with melancholy thoughts, whose balem humours if you but uphold, It will conduct you to despair and death."

Lenkiewicz considered the extraordinary medieval iconography that represents the 'Dance of Death'; and in particular the image of Death as 'Jester'.

"In 1568 a Fool Society elected itself in Poland under the name of the 'Babinian Republic'. Its structure was a duplicate of the Polish Constitution,  and it filled its offices by employing fools. Those activities perpetrated by non-members that were considered sufficiently foolish, were admired, and the person responsible for it was forced to join this Society. He was supplied with a licence, seal and a position that suited his folly. The Society became so large that hardly any person of consequence in Church or Government was not a member of it. Eventually the King of poland, Sigismund August 11, asked the Babinian Republic if they had a King. He was informed that as long as he lived the Society would not dream of electing another "

The poor-law legislation act of 1388 forbade the relief of able-bodied beggars. It took 500 years for repressive and punishment techniques to be replaced by rehabilitative ones.
Attitudes towards the vagrant have changed far less than the laws. To put the 'law' or 'service' into operation does not carry with it the commitment or the responsibility of the man paid to do it.

 
"Fool Societies continue to self-elect. "

In the early seventies Lenkiewicz schmilosophically influenced by Schweitzer, Buber and Dolci, took over a number of derelict premises where he housed several hundred (dossers, cowboys) vagrants. The manager of Olivetti's in Southside Street allowed Lenkiewicz to present the Project on Vagrancy in the large stables at the rear of his property in 1973. Lenkiewicz became involved with a wide range of remarkable street-people. Some of them were difficult, dangerous and extremely demanding. He established relationships with similar 'do-gooding' group activities in Exeter, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds and London; as a result of which, it was possible to 'swap' the problem 'cowboys' with mutual benefit. Endless tales can be told about these unusual personalities, some of whom reminded Lenkiewicz of wandering visionaries like the Desert Fathers. He leamt early on not to romanticise or sentimentalise the lives of people who suffered in varying and complex ways from alcoholism and who had severed normal contacts with Society. The 'Cowboys' divided themselves into what they called "Ist, 2nd and 3rd Division and non-league players ".

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. "
'Walking Stick'.

"It ain't no good in squawkin when you're stoney broke and walkin."
'Brother Blair'.

"If your feet get sore, walk on your hands."
'Senator Lynch'.

They had formulated a curious language out of a limited number of words:

"Let's tarpaulin muster, no deep tankin'. I've done a Hank Marvin with a comic singer, and the gaff hanger is coming to the bardo. Muster yolks are dead sham, shoot the craw, no more Jack the Ripper I haven't broken ice and there's no Giro for Cairo. A rustle is better than a rattle, we'll need a Burma Star for the quick draw. Box clever, dive bomb or we'refor Jimmy the rattler The dirty rat's done a Cagney, so we'll need a bottle of the hurry up. I'm stuck with a Tootie Hawker and a colshy Muck, there's no ships on the horizon an'me trousers are a laggin'cage."

Some of their names:
'Gentleman Jim', 'The Horse', 'Jukebox', 'Have no fear', 'Mouth McCarthy', 'Be-my-guest', 'The Bishop', 'Brother Blair', 'Chic the Bam', 'Steal-a- Horse',' The Bag-o-Rags', 'The Singer', 'The Steam Hammer', 'The Rhodesian', 'Harmonica Jim', 'Scar- face Fitz', 'Big John Wayne', 'One Way Rogers', 'Straight Back', 'The Roadrunner', 'Mephistopheles,'Tank', 'Big Take it Easy', 'Black Sam', 'Cockney Jim', 'The Irish Compressor', 'Billy the Kid', 'Senator Lynch', 'Brighton', 'Big John Barr', 'The Janner', 'Tragic Limp','The Silent Beggar,'No more cider for old Les Ryder',