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David Orr

@davidorrart

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Artist, Los Angeles

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“Nothing is nothing.”
— Robert AF Thurman

His introduction to the Tibetan book of the dead is one of the best summations of Buddhism I’ve ever read.

His friendship with the Dalai Lama was legendary, and his founding of Tibet House (with Philip Glass and Richard Gere) created a sea change in America’s understanding and access to Buddhism. And this doesn’t even begin to cover his remarkable series of courses at Columbia University, where he was chair of the eastern studies department.

When I had my show @tibethouse.us was lucky enough to have him write an essay for my catalog, to have him insist on including skull imagery in the show, have him choose my image of the prajñāpāramitā Sutra as his favorite, and to be in conversation with him and @komodokittay discussing my work and its origins.

Later, after I’d added him to my list of weekly image emails, I was always excited to get a reply from him, to tell me he was tickled.

85 is both a full life lived and too short.

#robertthurman #tibethouse #davidorrart #tibetanbuddhism

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“Interpretation is Revelation...The aim is Provocation” - Harry Everett Smith
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It has been nearly two weeks since the closing event, and I’m not typically in the business of shameless self-promotion, but nonetheless I feel compelled to shout into the void about Harry Smith’s Cosmic Collage. The event series I helped develop & co-produce through my work with the @harry_smith_archives finally came to fruition in April/May & I’m still pinching myself.

Anyone who knows me is aware that one of my greatest pleasures in life is championing the underdog; those whose genius & artistry has been overlooked, under-appreciated, misunderstood, or lost to the annals of time. So getting to build out a month of programming that highlights the life and work of my favorite peculiar little esoteric genius was a real gift. It was invigorating to speak to so many people throughout the series who were learning of Harry for the first time or previously only knew of his folk anthology. And it was just as affirming to see the dedication of his diehard fans who showed up at multiple events no matter how obscure.

None of this would’ve been possible without the guidance of the inimitable @rani_singh22 , without whom Harry’s legacy may have ended up in a dumpster at the Hotel Chelsea back in 1991. In nearly 5 years of working together i have learned so much more about the seemingly endless multitudes held inside Mr. Smith & also how to best preserve and disseminate his influence.

This series also would’ve been nothing more than a pipe dream without the support, collaboration, & creative problem solving of the fantastic team at @philosophical_research_society as well as co-presenters @secretfiresla , @7th___house , @zebulonla , @2220arts , @gettymuseum & @lafilmforum 🤝💪

And last but definitely not least, I want to express my huge resounding appreciation to all of the guest speakers, artists, and musicians who were down to get weird with us and dive head first into the rabbit hole of Harry 🕳️ 🐇. I can’t believe we got to work with some of the coolest folks to ever do it and I can only hope we can do it all again someday! 🙏🙏🙏

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A hearty THANK YOU to everyone who attended our Cosmic Collage series this past month in Los Angeles! It was a true celebration of Smith’s oeuvre! It was also wonderful meeting many of you in person, getting into the nitty-gritty with longtime fans and even more incredible being the first exposure to Harry and his work for some folks.

We couldn’t have done it without the collaboration, tenacity and know-how of our friends at the Philosophical Research Society (@philosophical_research_society ), which served as an ideal home base for our series. Many of PRS’ values mirror those of Harry Smith, as both are rooted in a lifelong pursuit of esoteric spirituality, mysticism, and deciphering hidden systems of knowledge.

From slideshows and live scores to a gallery exhibition, deep discussions and panels, virtual presentations, archive tours, rare film screenings, and musicians paying tribute to Harry’s Anthology of American Folk Music, this series was quite an undertaking, and the result definitely surpassed our expectations. Going forward, we would love to host similar events/series in other cities. If your organization might be a good fit, let’s discuss!

Special thanks to our other partners in crime: @lafilmforum , @secretfiresla, @7th___house, and the @gettymuseum

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If you’re in Portugal next week…

So nice to think of all the folks ‘round the world seeing this.

Many thanks to @rayonthebae and @shunleewest for putting me together with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis to create this little gem.

@birdsongproject was created to help bring awareness to the precarious beauty and wonder of our avian brethren via @audubonsociety As we navigate these tricky times, let’s keep them in mind.

🕊️

#wooddove #nickcaveandwarrenellis #davidorrart #birdsongproject #musicvideo

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Harry Smith in the (7th) house!

What a pleasure to share the stage with @jesshundley @ouroboros_press @rani_singh22 and (virtually) Charles Stein at the Philosophical Research Society last night.

And what an honor/validation to have an exhibition of his work up in a Gallery I founded. Wow.

Many thanks to @7th___house Kelly Carmena, and @devondeimler for holding this event, and inviting me to participate.

#harrysmitharchives #philosophicalresearchsociety #art #talk #hansellgallery

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This Thursday, May 7th, join PRS & Harry Smith Archives in celebrating the opening of a new art exhibition featuring the experimental & esoteric work of the legendary artist and thinker!

Brain Drawings: The Art of Harry Smith invites audiences into the singular world of Harry Smith (1923–1991)—experimental filmmaker, anthropologist, musicologist, & artist—whose practice was shaped by a deep engagement with esoteric spirituality, occult traditions, & systems of hidden knowledge. Describing himself as a “shaman in residence,” Smith approached art-making as a form of inquiry, mapping correspondences between sound, image, & cosmology.

This exhibition brings together a wide-ranging selection of Smith’s work, from early experiments in visualizing sound to a rare 1954 four-color silkscreen of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Also on view are string figure constructions, materials related to the Anthology of American Folk Music, photographs, & rarely seen films and audio works. Archival footage—including documentation of Smith’s rooms at the Chelsea Hotel and Naropa Institute—offers an intimate view into the environments that shaped his thinking.

After the opening, stick around for a multimedia presentation & panel discussion exploring the esoteric aspects of Harry Smith’s visual art & creative practice in the PRS Auditorium! This presentation will feature Smith's art, excerpts from his experimental films, & audio selections from his Materials for the Study of Religion and Culture in the Lower East Side or Movies for Blind People”, as well as rare clips of his close compatriots (including Allen Ginsberg) & Smith himself. The evening will be accompanied by a fascinating discussion moderated by Artist & founder of PRS’ Hansell Gallery, David Orr, with Director of the Harry Smith Archives, Rani Singh; occult scholar & Director of Ouroboros Press, William Kiesel; writer and Editor of Taschen’s Library of Esoterica book series, Jessica Hundley; & a recorded conversation with poet, artist, and classicist Charles Stein.

The whole celebration will culminate with a screening of Harry Smith's landmark work FILM #14: LATE SUPERIMPOSITIONS (1965).

Visit prs.org/events to attend!

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THURSDAY MAY 7th! Join us for a fascinating exploration of the artist, filmmaker, folklorist, collector, and self-described alchemist of culture who (as related by Allen Ginsberg) taught Jerry Garcia the Blues: the great Harry Everett Smith, as our COSMIC COLLAGE OF HARRY SMITH series continues with MIND MAPS: EXPLORING HARRY SMITH’S HERMETIC ALLUSIONS! 🧠🗺️

To celebrate the opening night of the BRAIN DRAWINGS: THE ART OF HARRY SMITH exhibit—on view at PRS’s Hansell Gallery 5/7–5/31—the Philosophical Research Society, Los Angeles Filmforum, and the Harry Smith Archives are pleased to present a multimedia presentation featuring Smith’s art, excerpts from his experimental films, and audio selections from his Materials for the Study of Religion and Culture in the Lower East Side or Movies for Blind People”, as well as rare clips of his close compatriots (including Allen Ginsberg) and Smith himself. This special presentation will be accompanied by a fascinating panel discussion exploring the esoteric aspects of Harry Smith’s visual art and creative practice and culminate with a screening of his landmark work FILM #14: LATE SUPERIMPOSITIONS (1965).

Joining the conversation will be Director of the Harry Smith Archives, Rani Singh; occult scholar and Director of Ouroboros Press, William Kiesel; writer and Editor of Taschen’s Library of Esoterica book series, Jessica Hundley; and a recorded conversation with poet, artist, and classicist Charles Stein. Artist and founder of PRS’ Hansell Gallery, David Orr, will guide our panel through various works from Smith’s career and the on-site Brain Drawings exhibition, offering them up for inquiry within the context of Smith’s guiding interests in esoteric prima materia and dedication to outsider anthropology.

Swipe for clips of Harry’s longtime friend and supporter Ginsberg discussing Harry’s remarkable impact, glimpses of FILM #14: LATE SUPERIMPOSITIONS, an excerpt from Drew Christie’s animated film “Some Crazy Magic”, and a rare interview clip! All this and more on Thursday!

Don’t miss this very special evening — grab your tickets now at prs.org! ✨

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TOMORROW! SAT, MAY 2 from 2-4pm at the Buena Vista Library. The Burbank Public Library in partnership w/ the Burbank Bla Bla, Living Arts Magazine present a Meet-and-Greet with local artists where you can view their unique artwork and creative process. Attendees are encouraged to discuss and ask the attending artists questions about their work. https://burbank.libnet.info/event/16022123

Featuring:
Dina Belenko, Photographer
David Orr, Artist
Susan Spohr, Ceramics
Pashur, Body Painting / Illustrations
Tito Proano, Artist/Teacher

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Alongside illuminated lectures, artist talks, and healing sound sessions, our Philosophy of Design series kicks off celebrating the transformative power of design through events examining the work of influential architects, artists, and designers!

👉 Swipe to see the full lineup

Visit prs.org/events for more info and ticket links ✨

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Wednesday, April 29th, join artist David Orr as he shares intimate stories of George Nakashima’s life, and explores the spiritual side of his work as we kick off our Philosophy of Design series!

George Nakashima often described himself as a “Druid,” a reflection of his belief that trees are living beings with spirit, and that wood is a material to be honored rather than controlled. He spoke of “listening” to the wood—allowing its grain, knots, and natural irregularities to shape the final form.

For Nakashima, furniture-making transcended craftsmanship; it became a ritual, a profound act of communion with nature, grounded in a moral and spiritual responsibility to respect the life of the tree.

Today, his work continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide. It is held in major museum collections, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, LACMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Arts and Design, and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

Visit prs.org/events for more info and tickets 🌳

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If you weren't able to get tickets to the opening night of our series with @philosophical_research_society this Saturday, don't fret! There are many more Harry-centric events to come!

Join us at the Philosophical Research Society for a twofer on Thursday, May 7th!

The evening begins with the exhibition opening of Brain Drawings: The Art of Harry Smith in the Hansell Gallery and finishes with Mind Maps: Exploring Harry Smith’s Hermetic Allusions. The latter will be a riveting panel discussion that focuses on Harry's occult leanings w/ David Orr @davidorrart , William Kiesel @ouroboros_press , Jessica Hundley @jesshundley and Chuck Stein.

Tickets are available via prs.org and via links in bio.

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