2009.82.25

[Philip Whalen Showing his Portrait]
1965
Art Acquisition Fund
2009.82.25

frame, mat, plex
signed in ink, BR below image
handwritten in ink, BR after signature: "8/40"
Micaëla Gallery, San Francisco, "Larry Keenan," September 6 - 30, 2006.

This is a black and white photograph of Philip Whalen standing in front of a closet holding up a drip-painted portrait of him by Michael McClure. Whalen appears in the top half of the composition and is smiling while gazing downward at the painting, which fills the lower half of the image. He has short curly hair and a beard; he wears glasses and a dark jacket over a light button-down shirt.

Micaëla Gallery printout:"DRIP PORTRAIT / San Francisco 1965 / Poet and Zen Master, Philip Whalen emerged from his closet with a drip painted portrait of him by Michael McClure. It looks just like him. While I spent the day with him at his apartment, I was struck by the depth of his inner peace. I was so impressed by him and sad that he could not attend the Last Gathering session at City Lights Books. During that session I elbowed into the photographers on my right so I could move over a little get his book behind the window in that photograph. I wanted him to be there."

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