Wichita Vortex

“Wichita Vortex” by Dex Hannon is a painting born from the intertwining worlds of sound, poetry, and emotion. Created while immersed in Hydrogen Jukebox, Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg's collaborative album, this work captures the album’s vivid and dynamic energy.

“I’ve wanted to paint this album for a long time,” Hannon explains. “It felt so alive, so colourful. The sounds are lucid, yet they twist and bend, weaving in and out of each other like threads in a tapestry. And then there’s Ginsberg’s voice—his words pierce through the sound like a needle, sharp and unrelenting.”

The title, Wichita Vortex, takes its name from one of Ginsberg’s powerful anti-war poems, a fitting reference for a piece that channels the chaos, tension, and beauty of creative expression. Through bold strokes and layered textures, Hannon translates the swirling energy of the music and poetry into a visual symphony, creating a painting that is as much about movement as it is about emotion.