John Giorno: Artist Overview

John Giorno was born on December 4, 1936, in New York City.

After earning a BA from Columbia University in 1958, Giorno established himself as an active presence in New York’s art scene, lauded for his starring role in Andy Warhol’s five-hour film Sleep (1963).
A life-long collaborator, he staged multimedia events with Robert Rauschenberg, developed new recording techniques with Bob Moog, and performed alongside William Burroughs and Brion Gysin. In 1967, he published his first monograph, Poems, and his first LP, collaborating with Rauschenberg and Les Levine on the artwork and designs for both.

Giorno created Dial-A-Poem at The Architectural League of New York in 1968, which was subsequently included in the landmark group exhibition Information at the Museum of Modern Art in 1970. Dial-A-Poem was both celebrated and censored for its selection of readings and speeches by poets and activists. Giorno was un-waveringly unapologetic in his use of politically-charged and sexually salacious content, using his work as a platform to draw attention to his own status as a gay man, to police violence in America, and to the harrowing statistics associated with the war in Vietnam.

In 1971, Giorno visited India and Nepal with Allen Ginsberg, where he gave the Dalai Lama a copy of his book 'Balling Buddha' and met his teacher, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche. A Buddhist strain began to form in Giorno’s work, and, in the 1980s, Giorno’s lofts at 222 Bowery became a space for communal practice in his adopted lineage of Nyingma Buddhism.

An artist of self-described “promiscuous compassion,” Giorno has always worked just as much to elevate the work of others as he has on his own. In 1965, he created an organization he called Giorno Poetry Systems, which was initially a pseudonym for his own political organizing and the creation of artworks. In 1972, he launched GPS Records, releasing over forty LPs, cassettes, videopaks and CDs featuring a wide range of new wave, no wave, punk, and other artists, musicians, and poets. In 1974, GPS officially became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, with a mission to support artists, poets, and musicians.

In 1984, GPS established the AIDS Treatment Project as an emergency response to the impacts of the epidemic on artists’ lives provided funding for artists living with AIDS through the early 2000s.

Giorno was not just a poet but an artist and a performer. In 1969, recognizing that the written word could be powerfully transformed into spoken word, he began a performance practice that he pursued throughout his life, pioneering a distinct and unique style. In 1981, he formed The John Giorno Band and performed at various punk rock venues.

In 1989, he made his first Poem Paintings, using a font designed for him by Mark Michaelson. Phrases taken from his poems, combining his interest in Buddhist spiritual texts with his Pop sensibility, were silk-screened on canvas. He continued and expanded his painting practice for the next thirty years.

Giorno met the Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone in 1998, beginning a relationship that lasted the rest of his life, and married in 2017. During the late 2000’s and early 2010’s, Giorno collaborated with a younger generation of artists, including Pierre Huyghe, Michael Stipe, and Rirkrit Tiravanija. A major retrospective of Giorno’s work, I ♥ John Giorno, was curated by Rondinone for Palais de Tokyo in 2015, and was re-imagined for 13 spaces in New York City in 2017, and a website (www.ilovejohngiorno.nyc).

Giorno retired from performing in 2017 and spent the last two years of his life in meditation, artmaking, writing poetry, and working on his memoir, 'Great Demon Kings'. His iconic poem prints, paintings, prints and drawings continue to show in museums and galleries around the world.

Giorno died in his home at 222 Bowery in 2019.

In 2020, his non-profit began operating under the name The John Giorno Foundation, but in honor of Giorno's legacy and building on GPS's long history of extraordinary events, LPs, and grants, it returned to its original name in 2023 and currently operates as Giorno Poetry Systems.

Born in 1936 in New York, NY, U.S.A.
Died in 2019 in New York, NY, U.S.A.

Biography
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John Giorno - Biography

Born in 1936 in New York, NY, U.S.A.
Died in 2019 in New York, NY, U.S.A.

Education
1958 Columbia University, New York, NY, U.S.A.

Solo Exhibitions
2023
‘John GiornoDial-A-Poem’, Museum of Modern Art, New York US
‘I Am A Poet’, Almine Rech Shanghai

2022
‘208 Bowery Sign Project’, New York, US
‘Cherry Blossoms are Razor Blades’, Morán Morán, Los Angeles, US

2021
‘John Giorno’, Almine Rech Gallery, London, UK
‘John Giorno’, Sperone Westwater, New York, US

2019
‘John Giorno: DO THE UNDONE’, Sperone Westwater, New York, US

2017
‘John Giorno’, Elizabeth Dee, New York, USA
‘UGO RONDINONE: I LOVE JOHN GIORNO’, a cross-institutional exhibition (Artists space, High Line, Howl, The Kitchen, Red Bull Studios, Sky Arts, Swiss Institute, White Columns, Hunter College), New York, NY, US
‘John Giorno’, Cahiers d’Art, Paris, France
‘SPACE FORGETS YOU’, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, Switzerland

2016
Le Case D’Arte, Milan, Italy

2015
‘GOD IS MAN MADE’, Almine Rech Gallery, Paris
‘I love John Giorno - an exhibition by Ugo Rondinone’, Palais de Tokyo, Paris
‘Un mois autour de la poésie - John Giorno’, Flux Laboratory, Carouge, Switzerland
‘Space forgets you’, Elizabeth Dee, NY, U.S.A.

2014
John Giorno, Max Wigram at Independent Projects, New York, US

2013
‘Le cri du mur’, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France

2012
‘Interventions sur le bâtiment’, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
‘John Giorno Paintings’, Galerie Almine Rech, Paris, France
‘Thanx 4 Nothing’, Faux Mouvement Centre d’Art contemporain, Metz, France

2011
‘Star 69: Dial-A-Poem Relics’, The Bauer Hotel, Campo San Moise, Venice, Italy

2010
‘Eating the sky’, Almine Rech Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
‘Diagonales’, Centre National des Arts Plastiques, Puteaux, France
‘Sonopoetics (de la parole à l’image, de la poésie au son)’, Institut Supérieur pour l’Étude du Langage Plastique, Brussels, Belgium

2009
‘Thanx 4 Nothing: Drawings and Print Poems’, Galerie du Jour Agnès b, Paris, France
‘LIFE IS A KILLER’, Galerie Almine Rech, Paris, France

2007
'LA SAGEZZA DELLE STREGHE / WISDOM OF THE WITCHES / LA SAGESSE DES SORCIERES', Kaplan’s Project n°3, Napoli, Italia

2005
‘Millions of Stars Come into my Heart, Welcome home’, Galerie du Jour Agnès b., Paris, France

Group Exhibitions
2023
‘What are words worth?’, McEvoy Foundation for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

2022
‘Nature doesn’t know about us’, Sculpture Milwaukee, Mikwaukee, Wisconsin
‘Something Else Press and Intermedia (1963-1974)’, Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain

2021
‘From The Archives: White Columns & 112 Greene Street – 1970-2021’, White Columns, New York, NY
‘Petits papiers du 20e siècle’, Centre Pompidou, Paris, FR
‘I know where I’m going, Who can I be now?,’ The Modern Institute, Glasgow, UK
‘Rites of Spring’, Long House Reserve, Easthampton, NY

2020
‘In Focus: Statements’, Copenhagen Contemporary, Copenhagen
‘Color & Complexity: 30 Years at Durham Press’, Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA
‘Andy Warhol’, Tate Modern, London, UK curated by Gregor Muir (catalog)
‘It Never Ends’, Kanal Centre Pompidou, Brussels
‘John Giorno Poetry Day’, MAMCO, Geneva
‘Feel the Sun in Your Mouth: Recent Acquisitions’, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, USA

2019

‘Artists Need to Create on the Same Scale that Society Has the Capacity to Destroy: Mare Nostrum’, Complesso della Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Penitenti, Venice, Italy

‘You Got To Burn To Shine’, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Rome, Italy

2018
‘Je m’appelle Cortana’, Frac Franche-Comté, Besançon, France

2017
‘Voyage d’hiver’, Château de Versailles, Versailles, France

2016
‘The Seeable and the Sayable’, Stiftelsen Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway
‘III Seen III Said’, White Flag Projects, Saint Louis, USA
‘The Power and The Glory’, Charles Riva Collection, Brussels
‘Beat Generation’, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
‘Looking Back / The 10th White Columns Annual’ - Selected by Matthew Higgs, White Columns, New York, USA

2015
‘Greater New York’, MoMA PS1, New York
‘Ugo Rondione: I <3 John Giorno’, Palais de Tokyo, Paris
‘The exhibition of a Film’, by Matthew Copeland, Centre Pompidou, FR
‘Maurizio Nannuci - Top Hundrer’, Museion Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
‘Artists and Poets’, Secession, Wien, AT

2014
‘Sed Tantum Dic Verbo (Just Say The Word)’, Blain Southern, Berlin, Germany

2013
‘Ceremonie’, Melinda Gloss Gallery, Paris, France
‘Futur simple: saison I’, Frac Bourgogne, Dijon, France
‘Kilomètres / heure’, Musée du Château des ducs de Wurtemberg, Montbéliard, France
‘Futur simple: saison I’, Frac Bourgogne, Dijon, France
‘39 Great Jones’, Eva Presenhuber Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland

2012
‘Le paysage, l’art et le fleuve’, Estuaire 2007.2009.2012 Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, France
‘Ecstatic Alphabets / Heaps of Language’, MoMA, NY, U.S.A.
‘Les Maîtres du désordre’, Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France

2011
‘15 Minutes: Homage to Andy Warhol’, Pollock Krasner House & Study Center, East Hampton, NY, U.S.A.
‘It’s For You: Conceptual Art and the Telephone’, Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, CT, U.S.A.
‘Star 69: Dial-A-Poem Relics’, The Bauer Hotel, Campo San Moise, Venice, Italy
'WE GAVE A PARTY FOR THE GODS AND THE GODS ALL CAME', last party, Kaplan’s Project, Napoli, Italy

2010
‘It’s All American, Inaugural exhibition’, New Jersey Museum of Contemporary Art, NJ, U.S.A.
‘Rip It Up and Start Again’, Artists Space, New York, NY, U.S.A.

2009
‘Modern modern’, Chelsea Art Museum, New York, NY, U.S.A.

2008
‘Traces du Sacré’, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
‘Printed in France’, Jordan Seydoux Gallery, Berlin, Germany
‘Martian Museum of Terrestial Art’, Barbican Centre, London, U.K.
'LA CHUTE OU LA LUTTE / LA CADUTTA O LA LOTTA / FALL OR FIGHT', Kaplan’s Project N°3, Napoli, Italy
'KAPLAN’S PROJECTION dans un monde de plus en plus sombre / in a darker and darker mood / in contesto sempre piu buio', Kaplan’s Project N°3, Napoli, Italy

2007
Galerie d’art Contemporain, Hôtel de Ville de Besançon, Besançon, France
‘WELCOMING THE FLOWERS’, Senior & Shopmaker Gallery, New York, NY, U.S.A.
‘Words and Music’, Michael Berger Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.

2006
‘Renegades 25 Years of Performance at Exit Art’, Exit Art, New York, NY, U.S.A.

2005
‘Multiplo – 3’, N.O.Gallery - Giannattasio, Milan, Italy
‘Multiplo – 1’, N.O.Gallery - Giannattasio, Milan, Italy

2004
‘Multiple Strategies’, Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.
‘c neal ephemeras’, Centre National de l’Estampe de l’Art Imprimé, Chatou, France

2003
‘Zona People 1974-1985 Non profit art space – Firenze’, Musée d´Art Moderne et Contemporain, Geneva, Switzerland

2002
‘Lowland Lullaby’, SI Swiss Institute, New York, NY, U.S.A.

1997
Städtische Galerie, Rosenheim, Germany

1993
Galerie Donguy, Paris, France
Artist’s Space, New York, NY, U.S.A.

1992
Kunstwerke Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Marcel Sitcoske Gallery, New York, NY, U.S.A.

Performances
2017
Rubin Block Party: Sounds of the Street, The Rubin Museum of Art, New York, NY, US

2015
I Love John Giorno, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, FR
It’s Not What Happens, It’s How You Handle It: Sunday Sessions at MoMA PS1, New York, NY, US
SPACE FORGETS YOU, Elizabeth Dee, New York, NY, US

2012
Galerie Almine Rech, Paris, France

2011
‘Star 69: Dial-A-Poem Relics’, The Bauer Hotel, Campo San Moise, Venice, Italy

2010
Garca Lorca Centre, Granada, Spain
Woodlan Pattern 30th Anniversary, Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A
‘Readings in Contemporary Poetry at Dia Chelsea’, Dia Chelsea, New York, NY, U.S.A
‘This Is Not A Reading Series’, Tornoto, Canada
‘Oil Kills Poets Spill’, Marble Cemetery, New York, NY, U.S.A
‘Gysin’s Ghost: Poetry Marathon’, New Museum, New York, NY, U.S.A
HOWL! Festival, Tompkins Square Park, New York, NY, U.S.A

2009
‘Festival d’Automne’, 104, Paris, France
Galerie Almine Rech, Paris, France

2008
‘Manifesto Marathon’, Serpentine Gallery, London, U.K.

2007
‘The Third Mind: Carte Blanche to Ugo Rondinone’, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France

2002
‘Lowland Lullaby, Ugo Rondinone’, Swiss Institute, New York, NY, U.S.A

1999
Central Park SummerStage, New York, NY, U.S.A

1997
‘Raspberry & Pornographic Poem’, Loeb Student Center and University, New York, NY, U.S.A

1994
‘Fabulous Sex/Compassion’, AIDS Treatment Project Benefit, Beacon Theater, New York, NY, U.S.A

1987
‘Where the Road Meets the Rubber’, AIDS Treatment Project Benefit, Beacon Theater, New York, NY, U.S.A

1978
‘The Nova Convention’, New York, NY, U.S.A

1970
‘The First Annual New Year’s Eve Benefit’, St. Mark’s Church, New York, NY, U.S.A

1969-70
The Release Benefits, St. Mark’s Church, New York, NY, U.S.A
Between 1984-1988, The John Giorno Band performed in New York City, NY at the Beacon Theater, the Bottom Line, CBGB’s, and toured extensively in cities throughout the U.S. and Canada including Boston, Detroit, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Houston, Miami, Tallahassee, Atlanta, and Montreal, USA

Giorno Poetry Systems Performances
2008
Kosmopolis Festival, Barcelona, Spain
Nagano Festival, Neon Hall, Nagano, Japan
Yokohama Festival, ZAIM, Yokohama, Japan
ENSA, Limoges, France
Fondation Cartier, Paris, France
Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
‘Mind Opener’, Dijon, France

2007
‘Mind Opener’, Besançon, France

2006
Festival Living Voice, Marseille, France

2005
‘Mind Opener’, Dijon, France, Besançon, France

1994
Fabulous Sex/Compassion, AIDS Treatment Project Benefit, Beacon
Theater, New York, NY, U.S.A. 1987

1989
Where the Road Meets the Rubber, AIDS Treatment Project
Benefit, Beacon Theater, New York, NY, U.S.A

1981
The Red Night Tour

1971-80
The Nyingmapa Buddhist Benefits

1978
The Nova Convention

1970
The First Annual New Year’s Eve Benefit, St. Mark’s Church, New York, NY, U.S.A

1969-70
The Release Benefits, St. Mark’s Church, New York, NY, U.S.A

1968
Central Park Poetry Events, New York, NY, U.S.A

Dial-a-poem
2017
Red Bull Arts, New York, NY

2015
Palais de Tokyo, Paris, FR

1992
Poemfone, New York, NY

1983
Berlin and 12 Cities in West Germany

1976
TELEPOEM, Venice, CA DIAL-A-POEM, roll outs in Milwaukee, WI Indianapolis, IN, Louisville, KY

1975
PHONE-A-POEM, Cambridge, MA

1972
The Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA

1970
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Cardiff, Wales
London, England

1969
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
Operaseji Fers, (Frisian Language), Leeuwarden, Netherlands

1968
The Architectural League of New York, New York, NY

Electronic Sensory Poem Environments (ESPE)
1970
Cum

1969
Johnny Guitar

1968
Purple Heart

1967
Chromosome and Raspberry

1965
Subway Poem

Public collections
Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, United States
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
Musée National d´Art Moderne, Paris, France
The progressive collection, Cleveland, OH, U.S.A.
Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, QLD
MUDAM, Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg
MoMA, Museum of Modern Art, New York city, NY
Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami, FL
The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, FL
The Bass Museum, South Beach, FL
The Hirshhorn Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
Bibliography
read or download

John Giorno - Bibliography

Catalogs and Press

2023
Sheng Luoying, 'The Shining Poet and Muse from the Golden Age of New York's Underground Art：John Giorno', Art Ba Ba, September 19, 2023-1

2021

Ralf Webb, ‘He’s a poet and the FBI know it: how John Giorno’s Dial-a-Poem alarmed the Feds’, The Guardian, October 18th
Gareth Harris, ‘London's calling: John Giorno’s seminal project inviting people to 'Dial-a-Poem' goes on show during Frieze’, The Art Newspaper, October 12th
Thom Waite, ‘Artist and poet John Giorno’s iconic Dial-A-Poem project arrives in the UK’, Dazed, October 14th
Fay Cornes, ‘Memories of the Welsh Dial-a-Poem service’, The Guardian, October 25
Gabrielle Schwarz, ‘Frieze week highlights: poetry on demand and Duchamp’s readymades’, Apollo Magazine, October 6
Samuel Reilly, ‘Beyond Frieze – London’s galleries put their best foot forward and 1-54 returns’, Apollo Magazine, October 7
Ghys, Clément. ‘À New York, au 222 Bowery: Sexe, Drogue et ePoésie’. Lee
Monde, M Magazine no. 515, 31 . July.
Gerlis, Melanie. ‘John Giorno's Dial-A-Poem comes to the . UK.’ Financial Times, 22 . July.
Dorris, Jesse. ‘Hearing Voices: Jesse Dorris on Kristin Oppenheim’s t Night Run: : Collected Sound Works 1992-1995.’
Artforum, 21 . May.
Harris, Gareth. ‘Trailblazing some late all great.” Financial , Times, 22 March.
MacAdam, Barbara. ‘John Giorno.’ Brooklyn Rail, 11 May.
Westall, Mark. ‘Morán Morán Present John Giorno and Dash Snow for t Art Basel : OVR: Pioneers.’ FAD Magazine, 23 March.
Westall, Mark. ‘The John Giorno Foundation Announces the t First Posthumous
Presentations of the Artist’s Work in New York & . London.’ DFAD Magazine, 11 February.
Yau, John. ‘John Giorno’s Beautifully Disgruntled Poem-Paintings. ’ Hyperallergic, 424 . April.

2020

“Elizabeth Dee Named Director of Newly Established John Giorno Foundation.” Artforum, August 3. “Great Demon Kings: A Memoir of Poetry, Sex, Art, Death, and Enlightenment.” Publishers Weekly. “Great Demon Kings: A Memoir of Poetry, Sex, Art, Death, and Enlightenment.” Kirkus Review, March 10.
“John Giorno: an intimate and revolutionary call to poetry.” Fahrenheit, December 4.
“So How Was Your 2020, Thurston Moore?” Rolling Stone, December 3.
“Stream: 7 Pieces for John Giorno curated by Guillaume Sorge,” Wire, September.
“Welcoming the Flowers by Anne-James Chaton.” Passa Porta, November 22.
Basciano, O. “Work of the Week: John Giorno, ‘Great Demon Kings: A Memoir of Poetry, Sex, Art, Death, and Enlightenment.” ArtReview, August 6.
Dafoe, T. “A New Foundation Dedicated to the Late Artist John Giorno Will Transform His Bowery Home Into an Archive and Grant-Giving Hub.” Artnet News, July 20.
Dery, M. “John Giorno: Fighting the Battle of Gay Liberation in a Homophobic World.” Literary Hub, 14 August.
Davies, Lillian. “Rirkrit Tiravanija.” Artforum, December 6.
Dusigne, M. “Hommage à John Giorno.” Clicanoo, September 24.
Espitia, Edward. “How One Artist’s Legacy Lives On.” Dujour, October 22.
Fallowell, D. “Part Beat, part hippy, part punk: the gay life of John Giorno.” The Spectator, August 8.
Frantz, C. “The Two Sides of the Bowery.” The New Yorker, July 19.
Giorno, J. “’Very Pop!’: An Excerpt from the Memoir of John Giorno, Andy Warhol’s ‘60s Muse and Lover.” Vogue, August 3.
Giorno, J. “In a New Memoir, John Giorno Recalls the Night Andy Warhol Conceived of an Epic Anti-Film While Watching Him Sleep,” Artnet News, September 3.
Giorno, J. “‘Very Pop!’: an Excerpt from the Memoir of John Giorno, Andy Warhol’s ‘60s Muse and Lover.” Vogue, 3 August 2020.
Giorno, J. “Sleeping With Andy Warhol” in “One Great Story.” New York, July 20.
Hainey, M. “Great Demon Kings: A Memoir of Poetry, Sex, Art, Death, and Enlightenment” in “The Shortlist.” The New York Times Book Review, August 9.
Hainey, M. “Three New Memoirs Offer a Glimpse Into the Writer’s Mind". The New York Times, August 7.
Harris, G. “Art, enlightenment, and plenty of sex: life according to John Giorno.” Book Club, August 4. Hoptman, L. “John Giorno: 1936-2019.” Artforum, February 2020.
Kerr, Theodore. “Ricardo Montez with Theodore Kerr.” Brooklyn Rail, November 1.
Lavrador, J. “John Giorno, La poésie bat le pave.” Libération, September 17 2020.
Marine, B. “Exclusive: Miranda July Spices Up Kajillionaire Press Run with a Zoom Performance.” W Magazine, October 1.
McShane, J. “Warhol exhibit explores roles off gender and sexuality in his life and art.” NBC
Mehalakes Lucks, Elaine. “Color & Complexity: 30 Years at Durham Press.” Exhibition catalogue. Allentown: Allentown Art Museum, 2020 Portwood, J. “RS Recommends: John Giorno’s ‘Great Demon Kings’ Memoir.” Rolling Stone, August 10.
Potter, Terry. “Great Demon Kings: A Memoir of Poetry, Sex, Art, Death, and Enlightenment by John Giorno.” The Letterpress Project, October 13.
Rathe, A. and Cantrell, L. “The Must-Read Books of Summer 2020.” Town & Country, May 22.
Rosen, Miss. “Andy Warhol’s Rarely Seen Drawings of Queer Love, Sex, and Desire.” AnOther, October 23.
Rosen, Miss. “Sensual Scenes of Sexual Self-Discovery in 1980s New York.” AnOther, November 13. Selvin, C. “With Aim to Celebrate Artist’s Creative and Political Legacy, John Giorno Foundation Names Elizabeth Dee as Director.” ARTnews, July 20.
Smith, J. “Pop Art.” Times Literary Supplement, August 21.
Spivack, E. “John Giorno on his Most Precious Possession.” The New York Times Style Magazine, September 14.
Steeber, M. “Infinite Canvas documentary explores Today at Apple’s augmented reality collaboration.” 9to5Mac, August 19.
Thaddeus-Johns, J. “New York confidential - John Giorno’s Memoir, reviewed.” Apollo, August 27. Vitale, Tom. “Giorno Worked 25 Years On His Memoir. It’s Being Released Posthumously.” NPR.org, 3 August 2020.

2019

“John Giorno (1936–2019).” Artforum, October 12. “John Giorno (1936–2019).” ArtReview, October 14.
“John Giorno (1936–2019).” The Allen Ginsberg Project, October 12.
“John Giorno, Who Pushed the Limits of Multimedia Poetry, Dies at 82.” Frieze News Desk, October 14. Arcade, Penny. “The Life and Death Of A Poet: Penny Arcade on John Giorno.” The Poetry Project Newsletter #259, November and Brooklyn Rail, December.
Basciano, O. “John Giorno – the New York radical who broke art and poetry’s boundaries.” The Guardian, October 15.
Dee, Elizabeth. “John Giorno,” The Art Newspaper, No 318, December. Goldstein, C. “From New Perspectives at MoMA to the Death of John Giorno: The Best and Worst of the Art World This Week.” Artnet News, October 18.
Kennedy, R. “John Giorno, Who Moved Poetry Beyond the Printed Page, Dies at 82.” The New York Times, October 13.
Pes, Javier. “The Beloved New York Artist, Beat Poet, and Warhol Film Star John Giorno Has Died.” Artnet News, October 14.
Riordan, E. “The Remarkable John Giorno.” University of Iowa Libraries, October 20.
Russeth, A. “John Giorno, Storied Artist Who Expanded Poetry’s Possibilities, Is Dead at 82.” ARTnews, October 12.
Seymour, T. “In memoriam: John Giorno (1936–2019).” Wallpaper*, October 15.

2018

Giorno, J. “Sleeping With Andy Warhol” in “One Great Story.” New York, NY
“Noteworthy: John Giorno Now Represented by Sperone Westwater Gallery,” Durham Press, December 1.
Palatucci, M. “John Giorno: We Gave A Party for the Gods.” Office, November 19.
Russeth, A. “John Giorno Joins Sperone Westwater.” ARTnews, November 29. Stewart, C. “In conversation with John Giorno.” TANK Magazine.

2017

“9 Art Events To Attend In New York City This Week,” ARTnews, June 21.
Anderson, S. “Behind the Exhibit: I ♥ John Giorno Talks About Career Of Collaboration,” Dujour, June 23.
Barone, J. “A Kaleidoscopic John Giorno Retrospective, Sprinkled Around New York,” The New York Times, May 6.
Brumfitt, S. “John Giorno Takes New York,” Amuse, June 20.
Collaboration,” Forbes, June 21. Dawson, V. “John Giorno,” BOMB, Summer. Eckardt, S. “Michael Stipe On How the Artist John Giorno (and Kirsten Dunst) Came to Star in R.E.M’s Final Music Videos,” W Magazine, June 22.
Fitzpatrick, J. “Love Poems: John Giorno around New York,” Art in America, June 29.
Freeman, N. A. “Spin Through All 13 Venues of ‘Ugo Rondinone: I ♥ John Giorno’ in New York,” ARTnews, June 21.
Galbraith, L. “Everything is Joyous – An interview with John Giorno,” Lion’s Roar, July 18.
Gotthardt, A. “Why Everyone Loves Poet, Warhol Muse, and Underground Hero John Giorno,” Artsy, July 20.
Jovanovich, A. “John Giorno,” Artforum, July 25.
Kane, Daniel. “Giorno Poetry Systems” in Do You Have A Band?: Poetry and Punk Rock in New York City, New York: Columbia University Press.
Krasinski, J. “Everybody ♥S John Giorno,” The Village Voice, June 21.
McStay, C. “I ♥ John Giorno and So Should You.” The Paris Review, August 29.
Pini, G. “The 10 Must-See Art Shows Opening This Week,” The Paper Magazine, September 14. Schilling, M.K. “New York is Celebrating John Giorno, One of the Last Great Underground Artists,” Newsweek, June 10.
Spice, A. “Legendary beat poet John Giorno’s I’m Rock Hard is a snapshot of NYC’s hedonistic ’80s underground,” The Vinyl Factory, September 14.
Tazartes, J. “‘I Heart John Giorno’: An Homage of Two Decades,” Women’s Wear Daily, June 23.
Thayer, K. “At Launch Of First Major U.S. Exhibition, John Giorno Talks About Career Of Thomas, C. “Prolific Gay Artist John Giorno Reflects on His New Retrospective, Andy Warhol & AIDS,” OUT Magazine, July 19.

2016

Becky Elmquist, ‘John Giorno, John Is Loved By All’, Muse, Issue 43, Spring/Summer
Laurent Buffet, ‘J’aime « I love John Giorno », Zérodeux, January 9th
Andrew Hultkrans, ‘Watching the mind’, Frieze, January-February

2015

Roxana Azimi, ‘Ugo Rondinone rend hommage à John Giorno au Palais de Tokyo’, Le Quotidien de l’Art, November 23rd
Elisabeth Couturier, ‘John Giorno - En vers et contre tous’, Paris Match Online, November 20th
Élisabeth Franck-Dumas, ‘John Giorno, l’A(i)mant’, Libération, November 16th
Thibaut Wychowanok, ‘Love story’, Numéro (n°168), November
Judith Benhamou-Huet, ‘John Giorno: lettre à un (encore) jeune poète au Palais de Tokyo’, Les Echos, November 5th
Jean-Max Colard, ‘we <3 you too’, les inRockuptibles, 4th to 9th November
Thibaut Wychowanok, ‘Love Story’, Numéro, November
‘Rétrospective John Giorno - Quand la poésie devient un spectacle magique...’, Beaux Arts Magazine, November
Ted Loos, ‘John Giorno’s New Show in Paris Was Organized by His life Partner’, New York Times Online, October 27th
Roxana Azimi, ‘Giorno sans ego’, Le Magazine du Monde, October 24th
Eléonore Susler, ‘John Giorno, jeune poète de 78 ans’, Le Temps, April
Julie Earle-Levine,’ John Giorno’s Half-Century on the Bowery’, TMagazine, April 1st, 2015

2014

Ilari Valbonesi, ‘Una Nuova Età Della Poesia/a New Age of Poetry’, Arteecritica, February-March

2013

L.B, ‘John Giorno’, L’Officiel Arts, January-February

2012

Sylvain Desmille, ‘Tombeau de Giorno’, Digital Magazine, September
Jean-Pierre Frimbois, ‘Le désordre selon Jean de Loisy’, Art Actuel, N°81, Summer 2012, pp. 24 - 27
‘Faux Mouvement’, CNAP.fr, May 24th
‘Live Forever : Elizabeth Peyton’, Essays by Iwona Blazwick, John Giorno and Laura Hoptman, Co-published by the New Museum, New York, U.S.A. and Phaidon Ltd, London, U.K.

2011

Holger Liebs, ‘Buon Giorno’, MONOPOL, July
Schwendener Martha, ‘Celebrating Warhol at a Shrine to Pollock’, New York Times, October 8
Holger Liebs, ‘Buon Giorno’, Monopol, July 2011, pp 64-73

2010

David Cohen, ‘Twister: John Giorno at Nicole Klasbrun’, Artcritical, June 10th
Claude Laurent, La Libre Belgique - Arts Libre, n°80 November 19th-25th
Bruce Benderson, ‘John Giorno and the Half-full Glass’, Vogue homme international, spring summer, n° 11, p.137 - 139
Nicole Klagsbrun, ‘John Giorno’, Art in America, October
Maul, Tim, ‘Exhibition Reviews’, Art in America, October
«John Giorno: 222 Bowery (1966-present)», Bowery Artist Tribute, Volume 2
Cohen, David, ‘Twister: John Giorno at Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery’, artcritical, June 10th
Gartenfeld, Alex, ‘The Painted Word’, Art in America, May
Swan, Ethan, ‘222 Bowery: The Bunker’, ANP Quarterly, Volume 2, Number 4
Kley, Elizabeth, ‘Gotham Art& Theater’, Artnet, www.artnet.com/magazine, January 5th

2009

Charles Barachon, ‘Les coquelicots magiques’, Technikart, February, p.92
Schneiderman, Jason, ‘Reality is Very Haunting: Reevaluating the Ouvre of John Giorno’, CUNY Graduate Center Advocate, May
Volmers, Eric, ‘Activist poet still burns for craft: John Giorno a headliner at poetry festival’, Calgary Herald, April 1st
Velasco, David, ‘John Giorno’, Artforum, January 10th
Eli-sabeth Lebovici, ‘Just say no to family values : John Giorno dit ses textes’, Le Beau Vice, January
Emmanuel Posnic, ‘John Giorno’, Paris-art.com, February
Natalie Hegert, ‘You Got to Burn to Shine’, ARTslant.com, January

2008

Boon, Marcus, ‘John Giorno’, BOMB, Issue 105, Fall
Hefland, Jessica, ‘Second in a Series: Completion’, The Design Observer Group, www.designobserver.com/observatory, September 18th
Ritts, Madeleine, ‘Dial-a-Poet: Verses for the Masses’ The McGill Daily
Olivier Meyer, ‘Fiac de Paris – 35ème Edition (John Giorno)’, Journal Sous Officiel 8ème Année, Fall, n°038, p.43-45
‘Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art’, FRIEZE, June – July - August, n° 116, p.230
Daphné Le Sergent, ‘Recherche – Traces du sacré sous toutes sortes de pistes. Panorama de l’art du 20ème siècle, sous l’angle du sacré. Du correct et de l’incorect’, Art Actuel, May - June, n° 56,

p.12 – 14

2005

‘Giorno, le sage sorcier’ Le Matricule des anges’, Revue n 068, November – December

2004

Speers Mears, Emily, ‘John Giorno’, Artforum, June 9th

2003

Cotter, Holland ‘Art Review; Finding Surprise as They Are Turned Up by the Karma Wheel’, The New York Times, November 7th

2002

Obrist, Hans U, ‘Hans Ulrich Obrist Interviews John Giorno’, www.undo.net. October 7th

Books of Poems

2007
‘Subduing Demons in Amercia’, Soft Skull Press, New York

2006
‘La Saggezza Delle Streghe’, Stampa Alternativa, Milano
‘Everyone Gets Lighter’, National Library of Albania, Tirana

2005
‘La Sagesse Des Sorcieres’, Al Dante, Paris
‘Everyone Gets Lighter’, Le Residencia des Estudiants, Madrid

1998
‘Per Risplendere Devi Bruciare’, City Lights Italia, Florence

1994
‘You Got To Burn To Shine, Serpent’s Tail Press’, New York/London

1992
‘Du Musst Brennen Um Zu Strahlen’, Stop Over Press, Berlin

1985
‘Grasping At Emptiness’, Kulchur Foundation, New York

1980
‘Suicide Sutra’, Christian Bourgois Editions, Paris

1977
‘Shit, Piss, Blood, Pus, & Brains’, The Painted Bride Press, Philadelphia

1973
‘Cancer In My Left Ball’, Something Else Press, New York

1971
‘CUM’, Adventures In Poetry, New York

Dial-a-poem

1968
Giorno created DIAL-A-POEM using a telephone service to communicate poetry in a modern idiom. More than one million people used the service, which inspired a range of artistic and commercial applications such as Dial-A-Joke, Dial Sports and Dial-A-Horoscope. The project lives on at www.ubu.com/sound/gps.html. Dial-A-Poem projects were featured in programs and projects around the globe.

1992
Poemfone, New York, NY

1983
Berlin and 12 Cities in West Germany

1976
TELEPOEM, Venice, CA DIAL-A-POEM, roll outs in Milwaukee, WI Indianapolis, IN, Louisville, KY

1975
PHONE-A-POEM, Cambridge, MA

1972
The Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA

1970
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Cardiff, Wales
London, England

1969
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
Operaseji Fers, (Frisian Language), Leeuwarden, Netherlands

1968
The Architectural League of New York, New York, NY
Electronic Sensory Poem Environments (ESPE)

1970
Cum

1969
Johnny Guitar

1968
Purple Heart

1967
Chromosome and Raspberry

1965
Subway Poem
CD, LP’S & K7

1998
The Best of William Burroughs, 4 CD box set

1993
Cash Cow, CD

1992
Paul Alberts, Shubert/Mozart CD

1989
Like a Girl, I Want You to Keep Coming, CD, Cassette, GPS 040
I’m Rock Hard, John Giorno Band LP, GPS 041

1987
Smack My Crack, LP, CD, cassette, GPS 0381

1986
A Diamond Hidden in the Mouth of a Corpse, LP, CD, cassette GPS 035

1984
Better an Old Demon, Than a New God, LP, GPS 033
Lenny Kay Connection, I’ve Got A Right, LP, GPS 032

1983
You’re a Hook, The 15th Year Anniversary of DIAL-A-POEM LP, GPS 030

1982
One Wold Poetry, LP, GPS 028-29
Life is a Killer, LP, GPS 027
Who You Staring At? Glenn Braca/John Giorno LP, GPS 025

1981
You’re the Guy I Want to Share My Money With, Laurie Anderson, William S.
Burroughs, John Giorno, LP, GPS
020-021; cassettes, GPS 022-023

1980
Sugar, Alcohol, Meat, LP, GPS 018-19

1979
The Nova Convention, LP, GPS 014-015; cassettes, GPS 016-017

1978
Big Ego, LP, GPS 012-103

1977
John Giorno & Ann Waldman, LP, GPS 010-011

1976
Totally Corrupt, LP, GPS 008-009
William S. Burroughs/ John Giorno, LP, GPS 006-007

1975
Biting Off the Tongue of a Corpse, LP, GPS 005

1974
Disconnected, LP, GPS 003-004

1972
DIAL-A-POEM Poets, LP, GPS 001-002

1967
Raspberry & Pornographic Poem, LP
Radio
Giorno Poetry Systems released 400 albums per title to FM and college radio stations across the country where they received heavy air play

1981
‘Satellite Radio Poets’

1976-79
‘The Poetry Experiment’, WBAI-FM, Pacifica Radio, a weekly series

1971
WPAX, Radio programs recorded in New York with Abbie Hoffman, and broadcast on Radio Hanoi to American soldiers in South Vietnam

1970
‘Radio Free Poetry’, The Software Show at the Jewish Museum, New York City, NY USA

Films

1995
No Accident, dir. by Michel Negroponte Loving Kindness, dir. by Peter Ungerleider

1982
Poetry in Motion, dir by Ron Mann

1963
Sleep, dir. by Andy Warhol

1979
Dallier, Aline. ‘La Couture et la broderie dans l’art contemporain’. Bulletin des Arts Plastiques, October

1978
Marter, Joan. ‘Elaine Reichek’ Arts Magazine, January, p. 7

1970
Cunt, Marz Verlag, Dharmstadt

Selected artworks

John Giorno I’m Tired of Being Scared (blue Dayglo), 1969

Silkscreen on paper

99 x 71 cm
39 x 28 in
John Giorno You Can’t Remember Where You Are (rainbow), 1974

Silkscreen on paper

76.2 x 86.36 cm
30 x 34 1/2 in
John Giorno WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH THE TOUGH GET GORGEOUS, 1989

Silkscreen on vinyl

121.9 x 121.9 cm
48 x 48 in
John Giorno I WANT TO BE FILTHY AND ANONYMOUS SCUM AND SLIME, 1989

Silkscreen on vinyl

121.9 x 121.9 cm
48 x 48 in
John Giorno SUGAR, ALCOHOL, MEAT & CIGARETTES, 1991

Silkscreen

36.5 x 36.5 cm
14 3/8 x 14 3/8 in
John Giorno IT’S WORSE THAN I THOUGHT, 1991

Silkscreen

36.5 x 36.5 cm
14 3/8 x 14 3/8 in
John Giorno EATING THE SKY, 2016

Cobalt Violet on paper

51.1 x 51.1 cm
20 1/8 x 20 1/8 in
John Giorno DO THE UNDONE, 2016

Graphite on paper

74.9 x 74.9 cm
29 1/2 x 29 1/2 in
John Giorno NOW AT THE DAWN OF MY LIFE, 2019

King's Blue Deep watercolour on paper

74.9 x 74.9 cm
29 1/2 x 29 1/2 in
John Giorno I WANT TO CUM IN YOUR HEART, 2012

Acrylic on canvas
121.9 x 121.9 cm
48 x 48 in

Inquire
John Giorno DON'T WAIT FOR ANYTHING, 2015

Acrylic on canvas
121.9 x 121.9 cm
48 x 48 in

Inquire
John Giorno LIFE IS A KILLER, 2012

Silkscreen on canvas

122 x 122 cm
48 x 48 in

Inquire
John Giorno JUST SAY NO TO FAMILY VALUES, 2012

Silkscreen on canvas

122 x 122 cm
48 x 48 in
John Giorno YOU GOT TO BURN TO SHINE, 2018

Acrylic on canvas - in four parts
284.5 x 284.5 cm
112 x 112 in

Inquire
John Giorno EVERYTHING IS DELUSION INCLUDING WISDOM, 2015

Enamel on linen

101.6 x 101.6 cm
40 x 40 in
John Giorno A HURRICANE IN A DROP OF CUM, 2015

Acrylic on canvas

101.6 x 101.6 cm
40 x 40 in
John Giorno BE YOURSELF, 2019

Acrylic on linen

142.24 x 142.24 cm
56 x 56 in
John Giorno SIT IN MY HEART AND SMILE, 2019

Oil on linen
141 x 141.6 cm
55 1/2 x 55 3/4 in
John Giorno LILACS LUXURIOUSLY LICKING THE AIR, 2017

Acrylic on canvas

101.6 x 101.6 cm
40 x 40 in
John Giorno ALMOST MISS AMERICA ROSE, 2017

Acrylic on canvas

101.6 x 101.6 cm
40 x 40 in
John Giorno CHERRY BLOSSOMS ARE RAZOR BLADES, 2017

Acrylic on canvas

101.6 x 101.6 cm
40 x 40 in
John Giorno BIG EGO, 2016-2022

Site specific wall painting

Dimensions variable
John Giorno SPACE MIRRORS MIND, 2022

Glacial granite, engraved
80 x 140 x 64 cm
31 1/2 x 55 1/2 x 25 1/2 in
Edition 1 of 3

Inquire
John Giorno Dial-A-Poem (2012 edition), 1968-2012

Telephone, soundfile player with 200 digitally recorded poems from 80 poets.

Edition of 12.

Biography

Bibliography

Selected artworks

John Giorno I’m Tired of Being Scared (blue Dayglo), 1969

John Giorno You Can’t Remember Where You Are (rainbow), 1974

John Giorno WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH THE TOUGH GET GORGEOUS, 1989

John Giorno I WANT TO BE FILTHY AND ANONYMOUS SCUM AND SLIME, 1989

John Giorno SUGAR, ALCOHOL, MEAT & CIGARETTES, 1991

John Giorno IT’S WORSE THAN I THOUGHT, 1991

John Giorno EATING THE SKY, 2016

John Giorno DO THE UNDONE, 2016

John Giorno ​NOW AT THE DAWN OF MY LIFE, 2019

John Giorno I WANT TO CUM IN YOUR HEART, 2012

John Giorno DON'T WAIT FOR ANYTHING, 2015

John Giorno LIFE IS A KILLER, 2012

John Giorno JUST SAY NO TO FAMILY VALUES, 2012

John Giorno YOU GOT TO BURN TO SHINE, 2018

John Giorno EVERYTHING IS DELUSION INCLUDING WISDOM, 2015

John Giorno A HURRICANE IN A DROP OF CUM, 2015

John Giorno BE YOURSELF, 2019

John Giorno SIT IN MY HEART AND SMILE, 2019

John Giorno LILACS LUXURIOUSLY LICKING THE AIR, 2017

John Giorno ALMOST MISS AMERICA ROSE, 2017

John Giorno CHERRY BLOSSOMS ARE RAZOR BLADES, 2017

John Giorno BIG EGO, 2016-2022

John Giorno SPACE MIRRORS MIND, 2022

John Giorno Dial-A-Poem (2012 edition), 1968-2012

John Giorno I am a Poet

John Giorno

John Giorno God is Man Made

Platform Curated by Nicolas Trembley

John Giorno Paintings

John Giorno Eating the Sky

John Giorno Life is a Killer

John Giorno Dial-A-Poem

Phraseology

Fire Figure Fantasy: Selections from ICA Miami’s Collection

John Giorno I ♥ JOHN GIORNO

John Giorno UGO RONDINONE : I ♥ JOHN GIORNO

Selected press

The New York Times Style Magazine: 'John Giorno on His Most Precious Possession'

Sheng Luoying, 'The Shining Poet and Muse from the Golden Age of New York's Underground Art：John Giorno', Art Ba Ba, September 19, 2023-1

Stephanie Bailey , 'Echoes of John Giorno with Ugo Rondinone in Venice', Ocula, April 27, 2022

'He’s a poet and the FBI know it: how John Giorno’s Dial-a-Poem alarmed the Feds', The Guardian, October 18, 2021

John Yau, 'John Giorno’s Beautifully Disgruntled Poem-Paintings', Hyperallergic, April 24, 2021

Michael Hainey, 'Three New Memoirs Offer a Glimpse Into the Writer’s Mind, The New York Times', August 7, 2020

Laura Hoptman, 'LAURA HOPTMAN on John Giorno', Artforum, February 2020

Randy Kennedy, 'John Giorno, Who Moved Poetry Beyond the Printed Page, Dies at 82', The New York Times, October 13, 2019

Ted Loos, 'John Giorno’s New Show in Paris Was Organized by His Life Partner', The New York Times, October 27, 2015

John Giorno NOW AT THE DAWN OF MY LIFE, 2019