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1 results

  • Chapter 27 - The Visual Artist

  • from Part IV - Modes of Creativity
  • Edited by Oliver Harris, Keele University, Davis Schneiderman, Lake Forest College, Alex Wermer-Colan, Temple University
  • Book:
    William Burroughs in Context
    Published online:
    02 July 2026
    Print publication:
    23 July 2026, pp 349-369

  • Summary

    This chapter examines William Burroughs’ extensive and experimental visual art practice, which spanned over four decades and included paintings, collages, photography, and sculpture – most notably his “shotgun paintings.” Often created privately and with utilitarian, even esoteric, intent, Burroughs’ art parallels his literary work in its disruption of conventional forms. The chapter traces the evolution of his practice, from early ink drawings and photo experiments to later works shaped by magic, science, and collaboration with an impressive range of artists. It situates Burroughs within key artistic movements and scenes – from Dada in Paris and Pop Art in New York to outsider art in Kansas – while highlighting the limited critical attention his visual work has received. Despite numerous late-life and posthumous exhibitions, Burroughs remains an underexplored figure in contemporary art history. This study calls for deeper scholarly engagement with his unique and enigmatic body of work, which continues to resist categorization and invites new interpretations.