Mary Magdalene 1994 Sculpture, cast silicon bronze, forged steel 154.4 x 52.1 x 54.6 cm. Pace Gallery, New York City Biography:
Kiki Smith is a German-American artist. Her father, Tony Smith, was an artist, and although her work takes on a very different form than that of her parents, growing up she was influenced by her father's process of geometric sculptures. She was able to experience formal sculpture craftsmanship firsthand. This, coupled with the influence of the Catholic church and her curiosity about the shape of the human body shaped her work conceptually. She enrolled at Hartford Art School in 1974 but dropped out, and around 1978 she joined Collaborative Projects Inc., an artists' collective devoted to making art accessible through exhibitions outside galleries. Art: Following her father's death in 1980 and her sister's death to AIDS, Smith's art began to investigate the mortality of the human body. She began to create works that explored human organs and bodily fluids, which also had social significance in response to the AIDS crisis and women's rights. Mary Magdalene, the sculpture shown above, was inspired by the depictions of Mary Magdalene in Southern german sculpture where she is depicted as a "wild woman". This is an example of Smith's non-traditional use of the female nude. Her avant-garde style also ended up depicting holy figures from her Catholic background, like the crucifixion of Jesus. She also has created works that depict animals, whose ferocity and vulnerability echo the human condition. Studio tour of Kiki Smith - She talks about her art and some of her works Article - 1. How did Smith's background effect her work in the future? 2. What themes did Smith try to tackle with her sculpture? With Mary Magdalene specifically? 3. What impact did Smith's sculptures have on the larger community as a whole?
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