Michael Bowen (artist)
| Michael Bowen | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
December 8, 1937 Beverly Hills, California, United States |
| Died | March 7, 2009 (aged 71) , Sweden |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Chouinard Art Institute, Los Angeles |
| Known for | Painting, Performance art |
| Notable work | Red future? (1959) LOVE portrait (1966) (Human Be-In as performance art (1967) |
| Movement | Visionary art |
| Website | http://art.percepticon.com |
Michael Bowen (December 8, 1937 – March 7, 2009) was an American fine artist known as one of the co-founders of the late 20th and 21st century Visionary art movements. His works include paintings on canvas and paper, 92 intaglio etchings based on Jungian psychology, assemblage, bronze sculpture, collage, and handmade art books.
An icon of the American Beat Generation and the 1960s counterculture, Bowen is also known for his role in inspiring and organizing the first Human Be-In in San Francisco. Chronicled in books and periodicals reflecting on the turbulent 1960s, Bowen's historical impact on both the literary and visual art worlds is well documented. He remains influential among avant-garde art circles around the world.
Michael Bowen was born December 8, 1937 in Beverly Hills to Grace and Sterling Bowen. His father was a dentist. His mother's lover was Benjamin (Bugsy) Siegel, affectionately known as "Uncle Benjie", who would often take the youthful Bowen to not only the Flamingo Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada that he created, but also to the Sir Francis Drake Hotel near Union Square in downtown San Francisco. Bowen's early romance with San Francisco established this city as his home base from which he would frequently travel to other places in the world.
He started his art career at age 17, when he joined the American installation artist Ed Kienholz in his Los Angeles studio. There he met and joined with other influential Beat Generation artists including Wallace Berman, John Altoon, and Dennis Hopper. Bowen participated in the construction of the Ferus Gallery and Now Gallery created by Ed Kienholz and curated by Walter Hopps. Bowen attended the Chouinard Art Institute for several years during his formative artistic experiences in Los Angeles.
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