Artist #38: Kiki Smith

Carrier

Kiki Smith is a German born artist who now lives and works in the United States. She started as a sculptor in the 1970s. She is best known for her sculptural work but has worked in a variety of media. In the 80s she began working with prints many of which can be seen here. Over the years she also has worked with a variety of different themes: politics, feminism and other social issues such as AIDS. She has been collected extensively throughout the United States and the world.

Untitled

I saw one of her works at the VMFA. The sculpture, known as Ice Man, which was inspired by the 1991 discovery of a man from the Stone Age frozen in a glacier. It is embraced by life and the importance of life even in his lifeless form. The disfigured figure work may also have something to do with her response to AIDS.

Ice Man, 1995-6, Bronze.