William S. Burroughs as seen at Frieze 2020

24 Jun-11 Jul 2020

Overview

October Gallery exhibited the work of William S. Burroughs in Frieze’s virtual viewing room in May 2020. This exhibition will present selected works from the viewing room in the physical gallery space. Burroughs practised visual art throughout his life, for decades he produced photographs, collages and film, then in his later years he became a prolific painter. Burroughs thought in images and symbols, this is visible in both his writing and paintings. He was influenced by process art, recombinant art, and incorporating text into paintings. Born in 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, William S. Burroughs was a cultural innovator, writer and artist. In 1981, Burroughs moved from New York City to Lawrence, Kansas. From 1987 onward, he prolifically created visual art including painting and shotgun pieces. Burroughs' work has been exhibited in over fifty galleries and museums including the Royal Academy of Arts, the Centre Pompidou, the Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art.The Gallery also boasts a large tranquil courtyard with lush greenery that houses several sculptures by Gallery artists.