Kiki Smith
‘Murmur’
New York, 537 West 24th Street
Encompassing etchings, cyanotypes, contact prints, and sculptural works in bronze, aluminum, and silver, the exhibition underscores the truly multidisciplinary approach to art-making that Smith has pursued throughout her career. Embracing the power of figurative art, Smith’s recent work continues to advance her investigation of both the resonances and dichotomies between the natural and spiritual worlds.
Drawing together approximately 20 works made over the last three years, Murmurmarks the gallery’s eighth solo exhibition dedicated to the artist since she joined the gallery in 1994. The pieces span from the intimate to the large-scale, the delicate to the robust, and represent elements from the human, animal, and celestial worlds—an eagle resting in pines, a woman’s bust seemingly molded into a chopped tree, a series of shooting stars, a cloudburst, bees, oak leaves, birds, a spiraling nebula, and more. Notable highlights include Wave—a large-scale bronze sculpture, treated with a dark black patina, evoking the power of the ocean under the vibrancy of a night sky; and a nearly seven foot tall bronze sculpture, representing a woman’s face, surrounded by and infused with symbols of language and nature.
The exhibition envelops the viewer—sculptural pieces will be wall-mounted, hung from the ceiling, placed directly on the ground, and presented on plinths; works on paper will be installed in gridded groupings across the gallery’s walls; and, the rear room will be adorned with a large bronze fountain set on a woodland-inspired bed of stones. Running throughout the works in the exhibition are ideas of genesis, decay, rebirth, and the eternal cycles and ties between seasons, nature, and human life.
on view until March 30, 2019
