The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne Makes Museum Debut in Baltimore

Wayne Coyne, frontman for the boundary-breaking, psychedelic alternative rock band The Flaming Lips, is creating brand-new visual artwork for the next exhibition at Baltimore's American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). Opening this October, AVAM's The Big|Brave Hope Show will thematically explore issues relating to hope and transcendent survival and showcase works from dozens of visionary artists and thinkers, including drawings, sculpture, and an immersive installation (titled King's Mouth) by Coyne. It will be the first museum showing of Coyne's art.

"Wayne Coyne's work is among the most jubilant in our Big|Brave Hope Show," says AVAM founder Rebecca Hoffberger, who is curating the exhibition. "Surviving a violent, near-death experience awakened in him a joy and a tsunami of endless creativity rarely seen in anyone. His drawings remind me of those most beloved by Saint-Exupéry, his lyrics are poetry."

Indeed, since having a loaded gun put to his head during a robbery attempt in the 1980s, Coyne has gone on to explore the far reaches of his imagination. He has transformed The Lips' live shows into visual spectacles, released new music via flash drives embedded in gummy skulls, created enduring album cover art, opened a freaky funhouse-style arts venue (The Womb) in his hometown of Oklahoma City, drawn a pair of edgy comic books, and even directed a science fiction Christmas film.

The AVAM show seems like a natural progression for the visionary rocker, who joins an impressive roster of pop culture figures previously exhibited at the museum: the list includes writer William S. Burroughs, rock icon Jimi Hendrix, actor Terrence Howard, chef Mario Batali, and comics legend R. Crumb.

Now in its twentieth year, the American Visionary Art Museum is the official, national museum and education center for self-taught, intuitive artistry. Dubbed "one of the most fantastic museums anywhere in America" by CNN, AVAM is located near Baltimore's Inner Harbor on a 1.1-acre campus. Its three renovated industrial buildings house artistic wonders from an array of farmers, housewives, inmates, mechanics, disabled persons, and even the occasional actor or rock star-all inspired by the fire within.

The Big|Brave Hope Show will run through August 2016 and feature, in addition to Coyne's art, work from John Waters photographer/documentarian Bob Adams, fabric artist Chris Roberts-Antieau, drawings by Margaret Munz-Losch, anonymous PostSecrets selected by Frank Warren, activist artist Jackie Sumell, and many more.

THE FLAMING LIPS are on tour now:

Jul 19 - Toronto, ON - Panamania, Nathan Phillips Square
Aug 7 - Bethlehem, PA - Musikfest
Aug 15 - Walla Walla, WA - Gentlemen Of The Road
Aug 21 - Salida, CO - Gentlemen Of The Road
Aug 27 - Edinburgh, UK - Magners Summer Nights
Aug 29 - Portsmouth, UK - Victorious Festival 2015
Sep 5 - Calgary, AB - X-Fest
Sep 6 Edmonton, AB - Sonic Boom
Sep 13 Burlington, VT - Grand Point North
Oct 10 San Diego, CA - CRSSD Festival
Nov 7 Dallas, TX - Untapped Festival

For Further Information:

https://twitter.com/waynecoyne

https://www.facebook.com/wayne.coyne.77

http://www.flaminglips.com/

https://twitter.com/theflaminglips

https://www.facebook.com/flaminglip

https://www.youtube.com/user/flaminglips