Keith Smith, Book Number 74, The Observation, 1978
Long before the ubiquity of digital technologies transformed the book, artist Keith Smith was engaged in prescient redefinition and innovation. Though Smith has worked for decades and produced hundreds of innovative photo-books and artworks, he lives and works in Rochester, New York, and aside from occasional shows with his New York gallery Bruce Silverstein, largely shies away from the commercial art scene. It’s extremely fitting, then, that his medium of choice is the book, embodying the long held belief that books allow for a more intimate, personal, tactile experience. Intimacy is key to his works, which often feature self-portraits, images of his partner, and views of the interior of their home. An exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art featuring more than 70 artworks plays on this quality with its title, Keith Smith at Home, recognizing both Smith’s cloistered nature and the intimate themes present in his art.
