Kikki Smith on art making

I stumbled apon this little clip of Kiki Smith discussing her views on her art making. This strongly resonates with me, so I felt compelled to share it. I had to write it out, as I am a very visual person, the words complement and enhance the footage of Kiki creating in her home. The thing that struck me the most was her reference to the artist as caring about their work. Sure, an individual may have the technical ability to draw a photorealist picture, so life like and compelling-but do they care about it? Does the work have meaning? Is it their passion? Do they have a need to create and does this come through in the work? She talks about making art as a need. From my personal experience and discussion with many artists over the years, the need is always there and a necessary part, if not the driving force behind the process.

“You know I’ve made an art career out of not having any particular skill whatsoever. Either you’re stopped by what hampers you or you’re not. And so to me I thought I’m not stopped by it and maybe I can exploit it to my own benefit. You know you can have tremendous talent-but it doesn’t mean that you care about it.”