Brion Gysin
- Introduction
- Brion Gysin (19 January 1916 – 13 July 1986) was a painter, writer, sound poet, performance artist and inventor of experimental devices born in Taplow, Buckinghamshire.He is best known for his use of the cut-up technique, alongside his close friend, the novelist William S. Burroughs. With the engineer Ian Sommerville he also invented the Dreamachine, a flicker device designed as an art object to be viewed with the eyes closed. It was in painting and drawing, however, that Gysin devoted his greatest efforts, creating calligraphic works inspired by cursive Japanese "grass" script and Arabic script. Burroughs later stated that "Brion Gysin was the only man I ever respected."
- Wikidata
- Q917570
- Introduction
- American painter and writer of English birth. As a youth he spent time in Kansas City, MO, and Edmonton, Alberta, and briefly attended school in England before studying painting at the Sorbonne in Paris (1933–5). In 1934 his drawings were to have been exhibited at the Galerie aux Quatre Chemins in Paris alongside works by Dadaists and Surrealists, but they were removed by Paul Eluard on André Breton’s orders. He later lived in New York City, Tangier, and Paris, where he spent the rest of his life. He collaborated with William S. Burroughs on books, and together they invented the 'cut-up' technique. His paintings involved a brushed calligraphic stroke, and he notably invented the 'Dreamachine' a device intended to create stroboscopic optical effects.
- Nationalities
- American, English, Canadian, British
- Gender
- Male
- Roles
- Artist, Author, Writer, Poet, Painter, Sculptor
- Name
- Brion Gysin
- Ulan
- 500089445
Exhibitions
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Degree Zero: Drawing at Midcentury
Through Feb 6
MoMA
Last chance -
A Trip from Here to There
Mar 15–Jul 30, 2013
MoMA
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Ecstatic Alphabets/Heaps of Language
May 6–Aug 27, 2012
MoMA
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Drawing on Chance: Selections from the Collection
Oct 12, 1995–Jan 23, 1996
MoMA
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Recent Acquisitions
Nov 20, 1962–Jan 13, 1963
MoMA
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Brion Gysin A Trip from Here to There 1958
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Brion Gysin Untitled 1962
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Brion Gysin Untitled 1962
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Brion Gysin Untitled 1962
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Various Artists, Gianni Bertini, Henri Chopin, Jean Dupuy, James Guitet, Brion Gysin, Bernard Heidsieck, Françoise Janicot Revue OU Cinquième Saison, no. 20/21 1964
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Various Artists, Serge Béguier, Gianni Bertini, Henri Chopin, François Dufrêne, Dora Feilane, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Paul-Armand Gette, John Giorno, Brion Gysin, Bernard Heidsieck, Alain Jouffroy, Rodolfo Krasno, Jean-Clarence Lambert, Jean-Jacques Lévêque, Gabriel Paris, Laura Sheleen Revue OU Cinquième Saison, no. 25 1965
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Various Artists, Bernard Aubertin, François Dufrêne, Brion Gysin, Bernard Heidsieck, Gil J Wolman Revue OU Cinquième Saison, no. 33 1968
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Brion Gysin Plateau Beaubourg (1974)
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