Original artwork by influential novelist and Beat poet Jack Kerouac, entitled ‘Buddha,’ accomplished in graphite and acrylic on a beige 14.5 x 17 sheet of artist paper, which is signed in the lower left in black ballpoint, “Kerouac.” The painting, which some sources have called ‘The Gary Buddha,’ prominently features a central Buddhist figure surrounded by radiant flame-like marks and seated above two figures positioned at the lower corners: a kneeling, robed man with a halo encircling his head and a bowl placed at his knees, and a floating head with exaggerated facial features, most notably the eyes. Archivally framed under Tru Vue UV-protective glass to an overall size of 19 x 25. In very good condition, with creasing, corner loss, and tape stains from old repairs to several tears.
Labels to the frame backing indicate that the painting was displayed at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City (November 1995-February 1996) and at the Whistler House Museum of Art in Lowell, Massachusetts (October 1998).
In keeping with the alternative title, ‘The Gary Buddha,’ the central figure may represent Gary Snyder, Kerouac’s close friend and fellow Beat poet, whose commitment to Buddhist practice influenced Kerouac during the mid-1950s, including the period in which The Dharma Bums was written. The kneeling figure below may be interpreted as a symbolic self-representation of Kerouac as a devotee or seeker, positioned beneath the central figure in an attitude of reverence. The disembodied head at lower left appears symbolic rather than portrait-like, and may allude to suffering, impermanence, or the ‘hungry ghost’ state of craving and unrest found in Buddhist tradition. Executed circa 1956–1960, during a period of Kerouac’s sustained interest in Buddhism, the work reflects the personal and exploratory nature of his visual art, which was often informal, symbolic, and created without aim for exhibition.
