Patti Smith lights up the AGO: 48 photos of the high priestess of punk and her legions of adoring (and stylish!) fans
See the photos from Patti Smith at the AGO »
Patti Smith is taking Toronto by storm. Body and soul, too. With a solid-week of press conferences, appearances and sold-out shows in support of her exhibit “Camera Solo” at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the once reluctant high priestess of punk has morphed into a veritable art shaman, worthy of the same worship she attaches to the figures she features in “Camera Solo” through photographs and objects of their belongings, abodes and resting places.
Last night, the 66 year-old singer took to the makeshift stage in the AGO’s Frank Gehry-fied centre court for the first of two back-to-back sold-out performances as part of the museum’s monthly 1st Thursdays art party program. Along with her daughter, Jesse Paris Smith on piano and guitarist Tony Shanahan, she lit the night with renditions of songs like “Ghost Song,” “Pissing in a River” and “Because the Night” as well reading excerpts from her book Just Kids. The excerpts, which seemed to tie in with the canonizing theme of the exhibit, included tales of Allen Ginsberg and a poem for Robert Mapplethorpe.” He didn’t live to read it, so I’ll read it to you,” she said.
Due to the success of Just Kids, Smith seems to have secured a permanent place in the art and aesthetic consciousness of millennials, a fact which was echoed amongst the equally eager crowd of young and old fans. She’s secured a place in fashion history, too, which was made by clear by the exhibit’s title sponsor: Joe Fresh. (The brand graciously allowed us members of the press in early, for a special look at the exhibit with curator Sophie Hackett.)
“Camera Solo” offers a glimpse into Smith’s passion for collecting and photographing the belongings, abodes and resting places of art, literature and poetry figures. Everything from the river in which Virginia Woolf took her own life to Frida Kahlo’s bed to Charles Baudelaire’s grave are treated with the same imprecise wash of her Polaroid Land 250. There is an entire “litter” dedicated to the poet Arthur Rimbaud, who has been an omnipresent influence in her work as well as the work of contemporaries Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison.
As someone who prays quite frequently at the altar of Patti Smith, I’d like to think I understand the motives behind the exhibit. I could see myself doing the same thing. When I posed it to Smith at a press conference on Wednesday, she responded, “I’m not into appropriation. I know it’s common in our culture but I don’t like it.” Well, that wasn’t quite what I meant. “But how would you feel about someone feeling the same way about your things?” I asked. She’d be flattered. I’ll take it!
Patti Smith: Camera Solo runs through May 19, 2013 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For more information, visit ago.net.
 fans&picture=https://fashionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Patti-Smith-AGO1.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_131983" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Photography by Jenna Marie Wakani[/caption]
See the photos from Patti Smith at the AGO »
Patti Smith is taking Toronto by storm. Body and soul, too. With a solid-week of press conferences, appearances and sold-out shows in support of her exhibit “Camera Solo” at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the once reluctant high priestess of punk has morphed into a veritable art shaman, worthy of the same worship she attaches to the figures she features in "Camera Solo" through photographs and objects of their belongings, abodes and resting places.
Last night, the 66 year-old singer took to the makeshift stage in the AGO’s Frank Gehry-fied centre court for the first of two back-to-back sold-out performances as part of the museum’s monthly 1st Thursdays art party program. Along with her daughter, Jesse Paris Smith on piano and guitarist Tony Shanahan, she lit the night with renditions of songs like “Ghost Song,” “Pissing in a River” and “Because the Night” as well reading excerpts from her book Just Kids. The excerpts, which seemed to tie in with the canonizing theme of the exhibit, included tales of Allen Ginsberg and a poem for Robert Mapplethorpe." He didn't live to read it, so I'll read it to you," she said.
Due to the success of Just Kids, Smith seems to have secured a permanent place in the art and aesthetic consciousness of millennials, a fact which was echoed amongst the equally eager crowd of young and old fans. She's secured a place in fashion history, too, which was made by clear by the exhibit's title sponsor: Joe Fresh. (The brand graciously allowed us members of the press in early, for a special look at the exhibit with curator Sophie Hackett.)
“Camera Solo” offers a glimpse into Smith’s passion for collecting and photographing the belongings, abodes and resting places of art, literature and poetry figures. Everything from the river in which Virginia Woolf took her own life to Frida Kahlo’s bed to Charles Baudelaire’s grave are treated with the same imprecise wash of her Polaroid Land 250. There is an entire “litter” dedicated to the poet Arthur Rimbaud, who has been an omnipresent influence in her work as well as the work of contemporaries Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison.
As someone who prays quite frequently at the altar of Patti Smith, I’d like to think I understand the motives behind the exhibit. I could see myself doing the same thing. When I posed it to Smith at a press conference on Wednesday, she responded, “I’m not into appropriation. I know it’s common in our culture but I don’t like it.” Well, that wasn’t quite what I meant. “But how would you feel about someone feeling the same way about your things?” I asked. She’d be flattered. I'll take it!
Patti Smith: Camera Solo runs through May 19, 2013 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For more information, visit ago.net.
[gallery columns="5"]){kind=link}