Scattered across the pages of Kurt Vonnegut's novels are the occasional satirical doodles that offer breaks in the text — a headstone with a bittersweet inscription in "Slaughterhouse-Five," or an asterisk meant to be a sphincter in "Breakfast of Champions."
Fans of Vonnegut's literary output may not realize the author quietly developed a refined style as a visual artist during the peak of his fame from the 1970s to the 2000s before he died in 2007. And now for the first time in years, a collection of Vonnegut's art is on display at Drexel University's Paul Peck Alumni Gallery.
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"He wasn't as fastidious about it and the record-keeping as he was for his literary works," Heather Rose, the owner of the collection, said of Vonnegut's mostly unnamed drawings that she acquired in recent years.
Vonnegut's abstract style balances minimal lines and joyful pockets of color, showing influences from cubism, dadaism and surrealism in the faces, shapes and furniture he depicted. Some of the drawings appear to reference characters from his sci-fi novels, including the recurring Salo (a round robot with three arms) from "The Sirens of Titan," while others show a meticulous and whimsical touch that offers a glimpse into his imagination at work.
Outside of a single exhibition at New York City's Margo Feiden Gallery in 1980, Vonnegut's art has not often been collected and displayed for public appreciation.
Nannette Vonnegut, the author's daughter, published a book in 2014 showcasing her father's art and telling stories about his approach to creativity. As an artist herself, she admired how her dad could be self-deprecating about his failed projects but persistent enough to take his craft seriously. The author saved many of his drawings for his daughter to determine their fates. Some were displayed by another private collector about a decade ago at Cornell University, where Vonnegut studied before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, but his work has largely remained unseen.
Rose, a Drexel alumna and lifelong reader of Vonnegut's writing, began purchasing many of his loose drawings several years ago to preserve them and give them an audience. She said some of his drawings hint at the sci-fi and atheist themes in his writing, while others show his sense of humor and experimentation.
"I like how collaborative his work is," Rose said. "I think in his writing, he leaves a lot to the reader to figure out. And I think he does that with his art as well."
Rose said the appraisal of Vonnegut's drawings was an unusual process that required comparing them to the work of other famous figures — David Bowie and John Lennon among them — who were skilled visual artists better known for their achievements in other art forms. Rose declined to say how much the collection is worth.
Drexel will have 25 of Vonnegut's original drawings and another four prints on loan from Rose until July 19. The Paul Peck Alumni Gallery is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.