Barbara T. Smith
Encyclopedia
Barbara Turner Smith is an American artist known for her performance work in the late 1960s. She studied painting, art history
and religion as an undergraduate at Pomona College
, being graduated in 1953, and she received her MFA from University of California, Irvine
in 1971. During her time at UC Irvine, Smith and other artist such as Nancy Buchanan, and Chris Burden
, founded F-Space, the experimental art gallery where she launched her career as a performance artist (it was also where Burden’s notorious “Shoot” (1971) was staged).
In her early work, Smith collage
d photographs of herself and her three children, impressions of portions of her body, and articles of clothing into her self-published Xeroxed books. Titles like “Broken Heart,” “Bond,” “Undies” and “Do Not Touch” suggest the personal nature of her subject matter. As her marriage disintegrated in the late 1960s, autobiography and the creation of community by means of interaction with her audience became central to Smith’s art. The themes she began to explore, “the body, food, nurturing, female desire, heterosexual relationships, sexuality, religion, spiritual transformation, love, and death."
Smith is most known for her performance work in the late 1960s that was at the forefront of feminist, body, and performance art. Cardinal performances by Smith include: “Ritual Meal” (1969), “Celebration of the Holy Squash” (1971), “Feed Me” (1973), “Birthdaze” (1981) and “The 21st Century Odyssey” (1991–1993).
A retrospective exhibition of her work, "The 21st Century Odyssey Part II: The Performances of Barbara T. Smith" was shown at the Pomona College Museum of Art in 2005, and later traveled to the Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University. Her "Trunk Piece," along with video footage from past performances, were a part of the Orange County Museum of Art
's permanent collection exhibition "Art Since the 1960s: California Experiments" (July 15, 2007-September 14, 2008). Her "Field Piece" (1968–1972) was the central work of a show at The Box gallery in Los Angeles (November 17, 2007-January 5, 2008).
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and religion as an undergraduate at Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
, being graduated in 1953, and she received her MFA from University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
in 1971. During her time at UC Irvine, Smith and other artist such as Nancy Buchanan, and Chris Burden
Chris Burden
Christopher "Chris" Burden is an American artist working in performance, sculpture, and installation art.-Education:Burden studied for his B.A...
, founded F-Space, the experimental art gallery where she launched her career as a performance artist (it was also where Burden’s notorious “Shoot” (1971) was staged).
In her early work, Smith collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
d photographs of herself and her three children, impressions of portions of her body, and articles of clothing into her self-published Xeroxed books. Titles like “Broken Heart,” “Bond,” “Undies” and “Do Not Touch” suggest the personal nature of her subject matter. As her marriage disintegrated in the late 1960s, autobiography and the creation of community by means of interaction with her audience became central to Smith’s art. The themes she began to explore, “the body, food, nurturing, female desire, heterosexual relationships, sexuality, religion, spiritual transformation, love, and death."
Smith is most known for her performance work in the late 1960s that was at the forefront of feminist, body, and performance art. Cardinal performances by Smith include: “Ritual Meal” (1969), “Celebration of the Holy Squash” (1971), “Feed Me” (1973), “Birthdaze” (1981) and “The 21st Century Odyssey” (1991–1993).
A retrospective exhibition of her work, "The 21st Century Odyssey Part II: The Performances of Barbara T. Smith" was shown at the Pomona College Museum of Art in 2005, and later traveled to the Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University. Her "Trunk Piece," along with video footage from past performances, were a part of the Orange County Museum of Art
Orange County Museum of Art
The Orange County Museum of Art is a museum located in Newport Beach, California.The museum's collection comprises more than 3,000 objects, with a concentration on the art of California from the early 20th century to present...
's permanent collection exhibition "Art Since the 1960s: California Experiments" (July 15, 2007-September 14, 2008). Her "Field Piece" (1968–1972) was the central work of a show at The Box gallery in Los Angeles (November 17, 2007-January 5, 2008).