Brooklyn Museum: Kiki Smith- Sojourn

Smith addresses a wide range of legitimate ideas in her exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum that are often acknowledged but dismissed by society. The show aims to address the lack of creative space that women have had in history and how duties such as childbirth, marriage and house work and overwhelmed and stifled the creative process. I would agree with Smith in that a simple lack of personal space, and the presence of enforced cultural duties have prevented many women’s creative pursuits. While walking through the show, I was struck by the disjointed nature of the narrative of the pieces, both in the physical layout and the ascetic effect of each peace. Most of the pieces had a craftsy feel that felt slightly uncouth and not very sophisticated. One piece entitled Messenger III depicts a small gold metal bird that is surrounded by joined silver wooden sticks. The bird’s feet are not perched on any of the sticks and its path of travel seems to be intercepted by the sticks surrounding it. On the bottom of the piece three gold stars line two of the sticks. The clear image of the bird’s flight being restricted by the structure of the sticks surrounding literally suggests the societal limits that have prevented women or their creative spirit as the bird from flight. Most of the pieces contained this literally imagery of suppression or confinement but lacked a greater commentary or narrative. Together the pieces seemed disjointed and seemed only to reiterate and not expand on the message stated at the beginning of the show. I appreciate Smiths efforts in trying to draw attention to the restrictions around women but the execution of the show seems restricted itself.