Life Follows Art, Over and Over Again: An Artist Talk by Kiki Smith

By LUCY STOCKTON

Kiki Smith, print and sculpture-focused artist, eco-feminist, and conceptual thinker, spoke and inspired at the Johnson Museum last Thursday. Distant and warm all at once, she captivated her crowd in such a manner that it seemed as if she were a part of her prints, drawings and sculptures — and not just speaking about it alongside a powerpoint presentation. The particularity of her words gave life and intimacy to her pieces; a body of work that can, at times, feel dissociated from the human experience. Smith, with her long, white hair flowing down her back, and kind, dignified voice, was witty and sweet, as she flicked through her images, the crowd spilling out of the room. More than 150 people were in the audience; Far more than the capacity of the lecture wing of the Johnson Museum.