Don Van Vliet
Don Van Vliet, also known as avant-garde musician Captain Beefheart of Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band, considered himself foremost as a painter and sculptor. He had his first exhibition at Liverpool's Bluecoat Gallery while he was touring the UK in 1972, and many of his albums feature original work by the artist. In the 1980s, after releasing a number of records throughout the '60s and '70s including "Safe as Milk," "Trout Mask Replica," and "Blue Jeans and Moonbeams," Vliet abandoned music altogether, and focused on his painting career. He had his first major exhibition as a serious painter at Mary Boone Gallery in new York. Because he was already in the spotlight for his music career, critics initially regarded his work with contempt and flippancy. However, the artist slowly recieved acclaim for his non-conformist works. His work has been described as abstract expressionism, outsider art, modernism, and primitivism. Of his own work, Van Vliet stated "I'm trying to turn myself inside out on the canvas...I'm trying to completely bare what I think at that moment."
Van Vliet’s works have been likened to those of Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko. Major exhibitions of his works have appeared at …
Don Van Vliet, also known as avant-garde musician Captain Beefheart of Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band, considered himself foremost as a painter and sculptor. He had his first exhibition at Liverpool's Bluecoat Gallery while he was touring the UK in 1972, and many of his albums feature original work by the artist. In the 1980s, after releasing a number of records throughout the '60s and '70s including "Safe as Milk," "Trout Mask Replica," and "Blue Jeans and Moonbeams," Vliet abandoned music altogether, and focused on his painting career. He had his first major exhibition as a serious painter at Mary Boone Gallery in new York. Because he was already in the spotlight for his music career, critics initially regarded his work with contempt and flippancy. However, the artist slowly recieved acclaim for his non-conformist works. His work has been described as abstract expressionism, outsider art, modernism, and primitivism. Of his own work, Van Vliet stated "I'm trying to turn myself inside out on the canvas...I'm trying to completely bare what I think at that moment."
Van Vliet’s works have been likened to those of Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko. Major exhibitions of his works have appeared at a number of galleries including Anton Kern and Michael Werner in New York.
