1.22.2011

harry smith: the avant-garde in the american vernacular

"Harry Smith with his 'brain drawings'"
San Francisco
1950
(photo Hy Hirsh)

Say what?
Who dat?
Who be Harry Smith?
Well, he is one of those amazing people that 
kinda slip thorough the cracks.
Thank god there brainiacs
like the good people at  
spelunking down into those cracks 
and coming up with some nuggets of
power.
Harry Smith is their latest find.
I know, I know, 
a lot of you smarty pants know all about
Harry Smith and his 
But did you know that he was also a:
filmmaker, painter, ethnographer, graphic designer, mystic, 
and most importantly, a collector
of string figures?
I didn't think so....

"Harry Smith with his mural, 
Jimbo's Bop City"
San Francisco
1950
(photo Hy Hirsh)

Harry Smith
"String Figures"
1960

K.S. Brown
"Harry Smith recording at a Lummi ceremony."
Lummi Indian Reservation
Washington
1942

Album cover designed by
Harry Smith for his
1952
(detail)

Andy Warhol
"Screen Test: Harry Smith"
1964

Harry Smith, 
Bolder, Colorado
1988
(photo Allen Ginsberg)

Harry Smith 
Naropa Institute
Bolder, Colorado
1988
(photo Peter Cole)

Harry Smith
Stills from 
"Film #12: Heaven and earth Magic"
1957-62

 Harry Smith
Stills from 
"Film #12: Heaven and earth Magic"
1957-62

 Harry Smith
Stills from 
"Film #12: Heaven and earth Magic"
1957-62

 Harry Smith
Stills from 
"Film #12: Heaven and earth Magic"
1957-62

 Harry Smith
Stills from 
"Film #12: Heaven and earth Magic"
1957-62

 Harry Smith
Stills from 
"Film #12: Heaven and earth Magic"
1957-62

Harry Smith
Chelsea Hotel
New York
1975

 Harry Smith
Frame filters for use during the projection of
 "Film #12: Heaven and earth Magic"
1957-62

 Harry Smith
Film still from "Film #18: Mahogany"
1970-80

 Harry Smith
Film still from "Film #18: Mahogany"
1970-80

Harry Smith
Film still from "Film #18: Mahogany"
1970-80

 Harry Smith
Film still from "Film #18: Mahogany"
1970-80

Harry Smith
"Manteca"
(detail)
1948
(whereabouts unkown)


This is Harry's interpretation of 
"Manteca"
 by Dizzy Gillespie.


Harry Smith
"Manteca"
(detail)
1948

Harry Smith
"Untitled"
(detail)
1950

"Harry Smith and Allen Ginsberg 
cook at Ginsberg's apartment"
NYC
1986
(photo Brian Graham)

Harry Smith
Stills from 
"Film #12: Heaven and earth Magic"
1957-62

Harry Smith
"Southern Cult Composite: The Staten Island Massacre"
1984

Harry Smith
Book-page border design
1988

Harry Everett Smith
1923-1991
(Harry died of cardiac arrest while singing 
in the arms of Paola Igliori,
room 328 of the Chelsea Hotel, 
2 blocks from where I am writing this.
RIP, Harry....

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1 comment:

  1. p.- tell me .why do such unique and great genius characters like smith always have fans with such humiliating looks like on image:
    Harry Smith,
    Naropa Institute
    Bolder, Colorado
    1988
    in the background (with the "ringelsocken")..?
    remember, when you have your pic taken,anywhere, always peek behind you first.. if not, shame is eternal.

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