Don Van Vilet at the Lowe Gallery

Don Van Vilet, born and currently working in the sunny state of California, is not only a famous painter, but also a skilled musician and poet. In the mid-1960s, Van Vilet gained recognition as “Captain Beefheart” of the Magic Band, though he eventually abandoned his music to focus exclusively on art. He begins each of his works with a thick layer of white paint as a background and base of creative expression. The paintings of Don Van Vilet have been showcased in many solo exhibitions, including the Bill Lowe Gallery in Atlanta and the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco. For over 20 years, he has displayed his work across the world. Van Vilet’s process is described as highly intuitive and immediate, and draws on aspects of the Surrealist Automatism.