Jack Smith (b. 1932, USA – d. 1989, USA)

I’ve just watch the documentary, “Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis” by Mary Jordan.

After “Flaming Creatures”, Smith has decided to never finish any other movie. It was a protest gesture, it would seem that he must have come to perceive finishing of an artwork as a starting point for its commodification, something that had to be prevented. I am also hesitant about “finishing” stuff, but I am not sure if there is any overlap between my reasons and Smith’s. For me it is more based in thinking about art in terms of encounters rather than sealed off works. Same work can trigger different thoughts and feelings on different occasions, there is always possibility for the physical object to change – whether by natural decay or later re-work by the artist or somebody else; some works need to be performed, with each rendition being different. So, it would seem that nothing I do is ever really finished… unless, perhaps, it is totally exhausted, destroyed and forgotten…

And then there is this recurrent issue of artist vs artwork. Can you like the artwork made by artist you dislike and vice versa? Is it why artworks after the artist’s death may increase in value – you do no need to consider the person behind to the same extent? Smith is portrayed in the documentary as a very difficult person to have to do with. It is also suggested that if he hadn’t been, maybe his work would have gained more popularity; instead, popular acclaim went to works by more likeable artists who drew on his ideas… And yet, he tried to control encounters with his work, which seems to have made his own presence inescapable part of the encounter… I am conflicted here when I don’t want attention to my person, but want to exchange ideas triggered by my work… but the audience often wants to see the artist in the work, take part of the artist’s intentions and ideas rather than engage independently and share their own take-aways… at the same time I don’t want to render myself likeable just for the purpose of it – or to cater to the fetishistic demand for artist’s vulnerability… and yet, on numerous occasions it was my presence that was noticed and discussed just as much, if not more, than my work presented… why is everything so complicated and enmeshed?!…