Four Celestial Babies, William S. Burroughs

Exhibition Label:
"Windmills to Workshops: Lawrence and the Visual Arts," Jul-2004, Kate Meyer
In 1981, influential writer, artist, and counter-cultural icon, William S. Burroughs, left New York City and settled in Lawrence. Though this move came as a surprise to his friends and devotees, Burroughs seemed to relish the escape from notoriety and the hectic pace of the city. He bought a modest house on Learnard Street, which he dubbed “Learn Hard Avenue.” Despite the fact that his address was never published, his house soon became a pilgrimage site for his fans. According to a friend, Burroughs “accepted his celebrity in the most gracious way,” and “loved the adoration of the people who loved his work.” Burroughs developed a community of friends in Lawrence, which was often joined by out-of-town visitors such as performance artist Laurie Anderson and Beat poet Alan Ginsberg.

Burroughs, who is known for his experimental approaches to literature in such works as Naked Lunch of 1959, also approached visual art from a distinctly experimental vantage point. Four Celestial Babies was previously exhibited at the Spencer in the 1996 retrospective of Burroughs’ visual work “Ports of Entry: William S. Burroughs and the Arts,” organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.