Exhibition features works created by Kiki Smith during her UNT residency

Thursday, October 8, 2015 - 18:25
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What: Kiki Smith: Seed, an exhibition featuring the works of artist Kiki Smith, 2013-14 artist-in-residence at the University of North Texas

When: Oct. 17-Nov. 14. Gallery hours are 5-8 p.m. Thursdays; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Where: UNT ArtSpace Dallas, 1901 Main St., Dallas, on the first floor of the University Center Building

Cost: Free

More information: More information about the UNT ArtSpace Dallas gallery and exhibitions, and other UNT art galleries, can be found on the UNT Galleries website.

DENTON (UNT), Texas –Kiki Smith: Seed, an exhibition featuring several series of innovative printwork created on multiple presses, including two series created by the internationally renowned artist during her residency at the University of North Texas, will be shown Oct. 17-Nov. 15 at UNT ArtSpace Dallas.

Smith served as 2013-14 artist-in-residence for the Institute for the Advancement of the Arts, the creative arm of UNT. She worked with students and faculty at the Print Research Institute of North Texas, a fine art press that is part of the College of Visual Arts and Design.

The work reflects Smith's frequent experimentation.

"I just try to do what seems interesting and engaging for me to do," she said. "There's certainly a wide range of ways that one can produce prints and make a print.

I'm always hoping it hooks somebody to think they can find their own voice within their various techniques, particularly for students."

The exhibition features two series of work that Smith produced at UNT. "Standing" includes seven copperplate intaglio with collages of trees against a background of rays, which were inspired by the light emitted by marquee signs.

"It's very exquisite," said Lari Gibbons, director of P.R.I.N.T. "She draws beautifully. You can see the sensitivity in all of her markmaking."

Students got to be involved with the other series, "Leap Year," in which Smith molded soft Japanese paper into balloon-like shapes. Smith photographed her assistants, holding the sculptures, then digitally added and deleted some elements before creating the prints.

Smith said she had made polymer prints the year before and thought it lent itself to colored prints and photography. She compares the result to candy wrappers.

"It has a slight sort of candy-ness to it. That's what I like – you see the image but you also see the separation of the color and togetherness. Your brain can see both."

Gibbons said it was a great experience for students to be working with such an acclaimed artist.

"When you work up close, you get to see what makes artists so amazing," Gibbons said. "She has many modes of working – contemplative, focused on drawing. For the other mode, she had turned off the editor. She would allow herself to try things and take risks. She was such a great role model for our shop. Students can see artists don't work in one mode."

Seed: Leap Year and Standing, a catalog that documents her work at UNT, will be released by P.R.I.N.T on Oct. 15.

The exhibition will include other prints, created apart from her UNT residency, that feature images inspired by the animals and mountains of Catskill, N.Y. Visitors can view a waterfall in The Falls, the sea crashing into rocks in Seven Seas, a moth in Goat Moth and a dog's legs and paws in Jewel. The exhibition also includes the individual pieces, Esperanza and Good Day.

About Kiki Smith

The daughter of sculptor Tony Smith and opera singer Jane Lawrence Smith, Kiki Smith began sculpting in the 1970s. Since 1980, she has created artwork using a variety of other media. In addition to the 2012 Department of State Medal of the Arts Award, she has received numerous awards and honors including the 2005 Athena Award for Excellence in Printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design and the 2009 Edward MacDowell Medal. She was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2005. Smith's work is represented by Pace Gallery, New York.

About P.R.I.N.T Press

P.R.I.N.T Press is a fine art press founded in 1993 and affiliated with the University of North Texas. P.R.I.N.T Press provides a fertile environment for innovative collaborative printmaking by bringing together recognized artists, students and printmakers while acting as a resource for both traditional and experimental techniques. It strives to sustain, expand and promote the art of collaborative printmaking through creative research and publishing projects. It also provides professional training for students and cultural events for the public community.

About the UNT Art Galleries

Part of the UNT College of Visual Arts and Design, the UNT Art Galleries support the educational mission of the university, enrich the aesthetic environment of the community and serve as a cultural resource for the public at large. Through a focus on curatorial projects involving vanguard contemporary art, the galleries challenge and promote the current discourse surrounding living artists and their works.

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