Beats connection: Allen Ginsberg’s inner circle – in pictures

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 On the road again … Jack Kerouac, Villa Muniria Garden, Tangier, 1957. Photograph: Allen Ginsberg; courtesy of Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles

A new exhibition of the Howl author’s intimate personal photographs finds him hanging out with Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs and Patti Smith

Wed 30 Aug 2023 (TheGuardian.com)

  • Allen Ginsberg by William Burroughs, 206 East 7th Street rooftop, 1953Muses & Self: Photographs by Allen Ginsberg is at Fahey Klein Gallery, Los Angeles until 23 September. All photographs: Allen Ginsberg/courtesy of Fahey Klein Gallery, Los AngelesAllen Ginsberg by William Burroughs, 206 East 7th Street rooftop, 1953Muses & Self: Photographs by Allen Ginsberg is at Fahey Klein Gallery, Los Angeles until 23 September. All photographs: Allen Ginsberg/courtesy of Fahey Klein Gallery, Los Angeles
  • Jack Kerouac on fire escape, New York, 1953This exhibition of Ginsberg’s personal photographs balances our understanding of the outspoken poet and most prominent figure of the Beat GenerationJack Kerouac on fire escape, New York, 1953This exhibition of Ginsberg’s personal photographs balances our understanding of the outspoken poet and most prominent figure of the Beat Generation
  • William S Burroughs, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, 1953These subtle portraits are filled with complex realisations about his life that are echoed in the meticulous handwritten captions often incorporated beneath the imagesWilliam S. Burroughs, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fall, NYC, 1953 The subtle portraits are filled with complex realizations about his life that are echoed in the meticulous handwritten captions often incorporated beneath the images.//In his creative works, Allen Ginsberg was known to blend text and image metaphorically – as well as literally, by handwriting captions on his photographs
  • Jack Kerouac, Villa Muniria Garden, Tangier, 1957In his creative works, Ginsberg was known to blend text and image metaphorically – here he does it literally by writing captions on his photographsJack Kerouac Villa Muniria Garden, Tangier, 1957 In his creative works, Allen Ginsberg was known to blend text and image metaphorically – here is does it literally by writing captions on his photographs
  • Calcutta, self-portrait with Peter Orlovsky (poet), 1962At his core, Allen Ginsberg was a witness and chronicler of the world; his profound admiration for the beauty of the vernacular, intense observation and celebration of the present moment guided his photography and poetry. The photographs included in this exhibition are joyful, often tender, sometimes profound, while at other times humorous – and capture Ginsberg’s numerous meaningful relationshipsCalcutta, Self Portrait with Peter Orlovsky (poet), 1962 At his core, Allen Ginsberg was a witness and chronicler of the world; his profound admiration for the beauty of the vernacular, intense observation, and celebration of the present moment guided his photography and poetry. The photographs included in this exhibition are joyful, often tender, sometimes profound while at other times humorous – and capture Ginsberg’s numerous meaningful relationships.
  • Artist Keith Haring, Lawrence, Kansas, 1987Ginsberg initially picked up a used Kodak Retina camera to take snapshots of the playful nature of his now-famous friends, including writers Jack Kerouac, William S Burroughs, Gregory Corso and Neal CassadyArtist Keith Haring, Lawrence, Kansas, 1987 Ginsberg initially picked up a used Kodak Retina camera to take snapshots of the playful nature of his now-famous friends, ((including writers Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Gregory Corso, and Neal Cassady. ))
  • Writer Arthur Miller, William H Gass and Ginsberg, Hotel Royal elevator, Copenhagen, 1985Ginsberg lost this beloved camera, and his photographic tendencies went dormant. Twenty years later he rediscovered negatives and prints, igniting his second dalliance with photographyWriter Arthur Miller, William H Gass and Ginsberg, Hotel Royal elevator, Copenhagen, 1985Ginsberg lost this beloved camera, and his photographic tendencies went dormant. Twenty years later he rediscovered negatives and prints, igniting his second dalliance with photography
  • Photographer Robert Frank with Allen Ginsberg, 1986With encouragement from photographers Robert Frank and Bernice Abbott, Ginsberg invested in better photographic equipment and made new portraits of longtime friends and new acquaintances – including Francesco Clemente, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Toni Morrison and Patti SmithPhotographer Robert Frank with Allen Ginsberg, 1986With encouragement from photographers Robert Frank and Bernice Abbott, Ginsberg invested in better photographic equipment and made new portraits of longtime friends and new acquaintances – including Francesco Clemente, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Toni Morrison and Patti Smith
  • Photographer Berenice Abbott, 1985‘The poignancy of a photograph comes from looking back to a fleeting moment in a floating world’ – Allen GinsbergPhotographer Berenice Abbott, 1985‘The poignancy of a photograph comes from looking back to a fleeting moment in a floating world’ – Allen Ginsberg
  • Patti Smith and William S Burroughs, The Bunker, 1995Ginsberg had two distinct photographic periods, from the early 1950s into the 1960s, and then the 1980s until his death in 1997Patti Smith & William S. Burroughs, The Bunker, 1995 Ginsberg had two distinct photographic periods, from the early 1950s into the 1960s and then the 1980s until his death in 1997.
  • Artists David Hockney and Larry Rivers at Henry Geldzahler’s funeral, Long Island, 1994Allen Ginsberg was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1926, and emerged as a prominent voice in the countercultural movement of the 1950s and 1960s. His most famous work, Howl, was a powerful and controversial poem that challenged societal conventions and explored themes of sexuality, spirituality and political dissent. It became a touchstone for a generation seeking liberation and authenticity Artists David Hockney and Larry Rivers at Henry Geldzahler’s funeral, Long Island, 1994Allen Ginsberg was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1926, and emerged as a prominent voice in the countercultural movement of the 1950s and 1960s. His most famous work, Howl, was a powerful and controversial poem that challenged societal conventions and explored themes of sexuality, spirituality and political dissent. It became a touchstone for a generation seeking liberation and authenticity
  • Poet Ted Joans, NYU Beat Conference, 1994In conjunction with the exhibition of photographs taken by Allen Ginsberg, the Fahey Klein Gallery hosts a preview of A Picture of My Mind: Poems Written by Allen Ginsberg’s Photographs, a collection of ekphrastic poems generated by an AI-powered version of Ginsberg’s own text corpus in response to specific photographsrPoet Ted Joans, NYU Beat Conference, 1994In conjunction with the exhibition of photographs taken by Allen Ginsberg, the Fahey Klein Gallery hosts a preview of A Picture of My Mind: Poems Written by Allen Ginsberg’s Photographs, a collection of ekphrastic poems generated by an AI-powered version of Ginsberg’s own text corpus in response to specific photographs
  • Poets Amiri Baraka with Amina Baraka, Jayne Cortez, Rashida Ismaili and friends, Small Press Book Fair, 1990Developed in collaboration with poetry collective theVERSEverse, recognised as leaders in the contemporary linguistic avant garde, and theVERSEverse member Ross Goodwin, a pioneering code poet whose “word.camera” (2018) turns digital image data into text, A Picture of My Mind enacts a dialogue between Ginsberg’s portraiture and poetry, and is supported by the Allen Ginsberg Estate and the Tezos FoundationPoets Amiri Baraka with Amina Baraka, Jayne Cortez, Rashida Ismaili, and friends, Small Press Book Fair, 1990Developed in collaboration with poetry collective theVERSEverse, recognized as leaders in the contemporary linguistic avant-garde, and theVERSEverse member Ross Goodwin, a pioneering code poet whose “word.camera” (2018) turns digital image data into text, A Picture of My Mind enacts a dialogue between Ginsberg’s portraiture and poetry, and is supported by the Allen Ginsberg Estate and the Tezos Foundation.
  • Antler, Poet, Brooklyn Bridge, 1990‘My poetry has always been a picture of my mind moving’ – Allen Ginsberg, Illuminated PoemsAntler, Poet, Brooklyn Bridge, 1990‘My poetry has always been a picture of my mind moving’ – Allen Ginsberg, Illuminated Poems
  • Fashion designer Giorgio Armani and Francesco Clemente at Clemente’s studio, 5 February 1993Ginsberg’s relentless pursuit of personal and artistic freedom made him an iconic figure, and his activism and advocacy for social justice, including his involvement in anti-war and gay rights movements, further solidified his place in American literary and cultural history. Through his groundbreaking poetry and fearless exploration of taboo subjects, Ginsberg remains an enduring symbol of artistic rebellion and the search for individual and collective enlightenmentShare on Fashion designer Giorgio Armani and Francesco Clemente at Clemente’s studio, 5 February 1993Ginsberg’s relentless pursuit of personal and artistic freedom made him an iconic figure, and his activism and advocacy for social justice, including his involvement in anti-war and gay rights movements, further solidified his place in American literary and cultural history. Through his groundbreaking poetry and fearless exploration of taboo subjects, Ginsberg remains an enduring symbol of artistic rebellion and the search for individual and collective enlightenment. He died on 5 April 1997, aged 70

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(Contributed by Gwyllm Llwydd)

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