harry smith: the avant-garde in the american vernacular

"Harry Smith with his 'brain drawings'"San Francisco1950(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 brainiacslike the good people at The Getty Research Centerspelunking down into those cracks and coming up with some nuggets ofpower.Harry Smith is their latest find.I know, I know, a lot of you smarty pants know all aboutHarry Smith and his "Anthology of American Folk Music"But did you know that he was also a:filmmaker, painter, ethnographer, graphic designer, mystic, and most importantly, a collectorof string figures?I didn't think so....

"Harry Smith with his mural, Jimbo's Bop City"San Francisco1950(photo Hy Hirsh)

Harry Smith"String Figures"1960

K.S. Brown"Harry Smith recording at a Lummi ceremony."Lummi Indian ReservationWashington1942

Album cover designed byHarry Smith for his"Anthology of American Folk Music"1952(detail)

Andy Warhol"Screen Test: Harry Smith"1964

Harry Smith, Naropa InstituteBolder, Colorado1988(photo Allen Ginsberg)

Harry Smith Naropa InstituteBolder, Colorado1988(photo Peter Cole)

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

Harry SmithChelsea HotelNew York1975

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

Harry SmithFilm 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"NYC1986(photo Brian Graham)

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

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

Harry SmithBook-page border design1988

Harry Everett Smith1923-1991(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....
Morehere
and
here