 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2024) |
Harry E. Smith | |
|---|---|
 Smith c. 1965 | |
| Born | May 29, 1923 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | November 27, 1991 (aged 68) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Visual artist, filmmaker, ethnographer |
| Known for | |
| Awards | Grammy |
Harry Everett Smith (May 29, 1923 – November 27, 1991) was an American polymath, who was credited variously as an artist, experimental filmmaker, bohemian, mystic, record collector, hoarder, student of anthropology and a Neo-Gnostic bishop.
Smith was an important figure in the Beat Generation scene in New York City, and his activities, such as his use of mind-altering substances and interest in esoteric spirituality, anticipated aspects of the Hippie movement. Besides his films, such as his full length cutout animated film Heaven and Earth Magic (1962), Smith is also remembered for his influential Anthology of American Folk Music, drawn from his extensive collection of out-of-print commercial 78 rpm recordings.
Throughout his life Smith was an inveterate collector. Other than records, his collections included string figures,[1] paper airplanes, Seminole textiles, and Ukrainian Easter eggs.
- ^ A brochure accompanying an exhibit of Harry Smith's string figures stated that, "[f]irst described in Western anthropological literature by Franz Boas in 1888, these patterns – made by looping or weaving lengths of string into geometric forms or shapes that often evoke familiar objects – have been produced throughout history, both as a secular pastime and as a spiritual practice. When he died, Smith left an unfinished thousand-page manuscript on string figures, along with an extensive collection of figures that he had created", "Harry Smith: String Figures", Cabinet Gallery, Brooklyn, N.Y. (September 19 through November 3, 2012)