The first museum presentation of Smith’s work in the United States in nearly ten years, Patti Smith: Camera Solo will highlight the continual symbiosis between Smith’s photography and her interest in poetry and literature and is on view from October 21, 2011 – February 19, 2012.
Patti Smith, Scripture, Glasgow Cathedral, 2002. Unique Polaroid, 4 1/4 x 3 1/4 in. ©Patti Smith, Courtesy the artist and Robert Miller Gallery.
From her explorations of artistic expression with friend and vanguard photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the 1960s and 70s to her profound influence on the nascent punk rock scene in the late 1970s and 80s, pioneering artist, musician, and poet Patti Smith has made her mark on the American cultural landscape throughout her 40-year career.
“Patti Smith’s photography, shaped over decades of observation, commemorates the artists, poets, authors, family and friends from whom she draws inspiration. Modest in scale and shot solely in black and white, they are sometimes disquieting and often beautiful, but always intimate,” said Susan Talbott, Director and CEO, Wadsworth Atheneum. “We are thrilled to present this work at the Wadsworth Atheneum where Smith’s mentor Sam Wagstaff was curator and the work of her dear friend Robert Mapplethorpe was the subject of two separate exhibitions.”
Patti Smith: Camera Solo will present approximately sixty black-and-white silver gelatin prints photographed with her vintage Polaroid camera. In the era of digital imaging and manipulation, Smith’s works champion the use of photography in its most classical sense: as a tool to document a “found” moment. Their diminutive scale and diffused lighting emphasize the subtleties and the importance of each subject, as in Arthur Rimbaud’s Utensils or Robert’s Slippers, where the objects are tightly-cropped and detached from their surroundings.
During the course of the exhibition, Smith will make several appearances at the museum—including the performance honoring Rimbaud, a book-signing of her National Book Award-winning memoir Just Kids, and an evening performance of music and spoken word. The exhibition will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue that includes an interview with the artist.
Patti Smith (b. 1946) began as a visual artist and has been making drawings and taking photographs since the late 1960’s. In recent years her practice has expanded to include installation. The artist has been represented by Robert Miller Gallery since 1978
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is located at 600 Main St. in Hartford, Connecticut. The Museum is open Wednesdays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please visit www.wadsworthatheneum.org
