Kiki Smith

“Art is something that moves from your insides to the physical world” (Kiki Smith).  Kiki Smith’s work has been the body as a receptacle for knowledge, belief, and storytelling.  Her work transforms the body into new shapes and from new origins, showing us new stories on how things were made and done.  Some of her work deals with the inside of humans while other pieces focus more on storytelling or fantasy.  Her work incorporates animals, domestic objects, and narratives from classical mythology and folk tales. 

Kiki Smith was raised Catholic, and this religious influence comes out in some of her works.  In her works Lying with the Wolf, Wearing the Skin, and Rapture, she takes inspiration from the life of the Saint Genevieve.  Her works show a person being born from the womb of a wolf, communing with a wolf, and taking shelter in its pelt.  These works show the symbolic relationships between humans and animals, playing of off the painting with St. Genevieve sitting with the lambs and wolves.  She also looks to commemorate things that other people would not, such as with witches and the crucifixion of witches.  She also does printmaking, and these also commemorate the folk stories, witches, and are a little morbid.  Some of her works are also done as blankets, dishes, and other household or domestic objects.  These are also done in her traditional themes.        

She believes art is just a way to think.  It is how you show it that matters.  You can explain most anything with art, and she shows this idea in her work.  The more you work or manipulate your work, the more life you bring into it.  She believes there is always something to do, whether it be a new art piece or filing.  Art is all she does and that what makes her a fine artist.      

Born (Print)

Born

Pee Body

Rapture

Untitled