’Cut-ups, Cut-ins, Cut-outs: The Art of William S. Burroughs’, Ljublijana
![Portrait of William S. Burroughs](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u9fmzzn3t4VRgyYC9mQpj9-415-80.jpg)
'William S. Burroughs the artist' probably places second to 'William S. Burroughs the writer' in the sphere of popular culture. Yet in the sphere of influence, Burroughs's art has had immeasurable success, inspiring icons from David Bowie to Patty Smith to Kurt Cobain.
An exhibition on now at the International Centre of Graphic Arts in Ljublijana, Slovenia, focuses on the artistic side of Burroughs' oeuvre, specifically his cut-up works, precursors to postmodern collage and even digital sampling in music. 'Cut-ups, Cut-ins, Cut-outs: The Art of William S. Burroughs' uses the Beat artist's patchwork painting, photography, film and audio work to tell the story of his development in this other field.
Curators Colin Fallows, a professor at Liverpool John Moores University, and Synne Genzmer of Vienna's Kunsthalle museum have rounded up dozens of rare works from Burroughs's experimental phase. They begin in the late 1950s, shortly after Burroughs met the painter Brion Gysin, the godfather of cut-up art, at the Beat Hotel in Paris, and continue through the 1960s.
Gysin collaborated with Burroughs on his early cut-ups, splicing together fragments of text and sound to uncover a sort of freedom from conventional thinking. The original material came from Burroughs's own writings, classical authors like T.S. Eliot, Shakespeare and Kafka, popular imagery, scientific motifs and TV; when juxtaposed they conspire to create new, disconnected realities.
Tracing the progression of works from text to painting to sound offers a glimpse into the artist's complex mind and the beginnings of a revolution in art and music that continues to shape us even today.
Installation view of Burroughs' cut-up poetry.
'Untitled (p. 155)', by William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, 1965.
Burroughs was known for his shotgun art, in which he used a rifle to shoot at spray paint cans in front of blank canvases to create abstract paintings.
'Untitled (p. 130)', by William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, 1965.
'Untitled (p. 157)', by William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin, 1965.
'The Curse of Bast', by William S. Burroughs, 1987.
'45 Long Colt 5 Shots', by William S. Burroughs, 1992.
'Collage', by William S. Burroughs, 1964.
ADDRESS
International Centre of Graphic Arts
Grad Tivoli
Pod turnom 3
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
-
Phaidon’s new Graphic Classics is a lavish greatest hits of graphic design
Graphic Classics is a compendium of seven centuries of visual culture, from the everyday and ephemeral to visionary works that reshaped our world
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Birley Chocolate hits the sweet ’n’ chic spot in London’s Chelsea
The new Birley Chocolate shop, a sibling to Birley Bakery, is a confection of colour as delicious as its finely crafted goods
By Melina Keays Published
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published