From the Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna to the International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) in Ljubljana comes the exhibition “Cut-ups, Cut-ins, Cut-outs: The Art of William S. Burroughs“.
This exhibition marks the first time Burroughs’ visual works have been presented in Slovenia. It shows his use of different mediums: “from audio cut-ups, visual collages and abstract paintings depicted with a shotgun, to rare books, films, photographs and ephemeral material.“
So while observing how he was playing first with texts, with newspaper cut-outs and photographs, then with paint and shotguns, his voice sounds from the speakers.
One area has a couch where you can sit down and listen to some of his CDs on the headphones. Next to it you should check out his list of suggested books and play with the prepared sheets of papers with a printed word or two on it. You also can view many photographs of him, a black and white series by photographer Brion Gysin.
In the last room there is a splash of paints and a shower of shotguns all over the place, shotguns as the eyes of a person on a painting or as ornaments in the door. “The artwork of William S. Burroughs is hard to define, since the artist offers many ways of reading and understanding his extensive creative oeuvre,” as stated at MGLC: “The exhibition places a special focus on the collage and cut-up techniques, which form an important and influential part of Burroughs’ artistic language, as well as his creative legacy.“
The exhibition runs through 7 April and MGLC is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00–18.00. More info on their webpage.
