Brion Gysin

Brion Gysin was an important painter, writer, and performance artist of the twentieth century. Gysin studied surrealism with the greats at a very young age. But when he was about to preview some of his work, he was expelled from the surrealist group by Andre Breton. After serving in World War II, Gysin opened a restaurant in Morocco called 1001 Nights. But four years later he would again face failure when his restaurant was closed. Moving back to Paris, Gysin moved into the Beat Hotel and discovered a Dada technique by accident. Slicing through a pile of newspapers, Gysin translated a painting technique into writing by mixing together raw words and text. Gysin's close friend William Burroughs used this cut up technique in several of his novels. 

Another invention of Gysin is the Dreamachine. The dreamachine is made from a cylinder with slits cut on the side and then is placed on a rotatable object which turns the entire contraption. There is a light source in the center of the piece. With the combination of the light and the revolution, the dreamachine pulsates and gives the viewer a feeling of relaxation. The dreamachine is experienced with eyes closed. The effect of the dreamachine can be very intense and can cause the viewer to enter a hypnagogic state.