Patty Smith: Artist's Statement
I address, identity, courage, fear, confidence, and self-doubt in my drawings, prints and animations, sometimes playful, sometimes profound. Drawing on childhood and adult experiences I reflect visually on the stereotypes, options and situations for girls and women in the 20th and 21st centuries in the series Model Child and The Book of Neglects.
In the series Barriers, images are often layered landscapes, strewn with obstacles and fences, calling up the fear and the allure of the unknown, the possible consequences and potential rewards of navigating unfamiliar territory. I am influenced by the U.S. actions to build fences and to deport and keep out immigrants. As the images evolve so does the notion of barriers. Barriers, we all face them, not only physical but also psychological. What prevents us from getting to where we want to go? What do we hope to discover and achieve if we break through and get to the other side? Are the opportunities worth the risks?
In 2012 I began collaborating with Claire Fouquet, an artist/animator, working in Paris and Angoulême, France. Together we have produced prints, documentary films, and artists' books. The artist book So Many Seeds, 2023 is the artists’ response to the war in Ukraine. Ampersand (&), 2024 is a flag book that celebrates the collaborative experience.
While concept is fundamental to my work, process and materials contribute significantly. The meditative practice of building drawings and prints, the mark making, the evolution of one image to the next, the edition printing and the resulting multiples are integral to the representation of ideas.