Kiki Smith (American, b. 1954)
Dandelions, 1998
Set of 6 mezzotints 10 x 8 ¾ in. each; 11 7/8 x 13 ¼ in. framed
Kiki Smith is best known for reintroducing figuration and the female body into American contemporary art in the late 1980s and 90s. Her father, Minimalist sculptor Tony Smith, surrounded himself with artists like Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko, who were invested in making abstract and non-representational art. Kiki Smith took her practice in the opposite direction exploring a variety of narrative subjects including the celestial world, natural science, animals, and religion. In Dandelions, Smith creates a contemporary Vanitas representing the passage of time and the ephemeral nature of all living things. Smith is one of the leading contemporary artists working in the field of printmaking today. Her work is in the permanent collections of most major national and international museums.
More information about Kiki Smith can be found here:
https://art21.org/watch/extended-play/kiki-smith-printmaking-short/