Patti Smith, Trois

by Patti Smith

A set of three personal books by an icon of the New York underground music scene, published in association with the Cartier Foundation, Paris.

Texte anglais précédé de la trad. française. - Réunit : "Charleville" ; "Statues" ; "Cahier". - Publ. à l'occasion de l'exposition "Patti Smith, Land 250", Paris, Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, 28 mars-22 juin 2008

Genres: Photography, Poetry, Biography, Art

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2008

About the author

PATTI SMITH is a writer, performer, and visual artist. She gained recognition in the 1970s for her revolutionary merging of poetry and rock. She has released twelve albums, including Horses, which has been hailed as one of the top one hundred albums of all time by Rolling Stone.

Smith had her first exhibit of drawings at the Gotham Book Mart in 1973 and has been represented by the Robert Miller Gallery since 1978. Her books include Just Kids, winner of the National Book Award in 2010, Wītt, Babel, Woolgathering, The Coral Sea, and Auguries of Innocence.

In 2005, the French Ministry of Culture awarded Smith the title of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, the highest honor given to an artist by the French Republic. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

Smith married the musician Fred Sonic Smith in Detroit in 1980. They had a son, Jackson, and a daughter, Jesse. Smith resides in New York City.

Reviews

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compilation of Patti Smith's photographs taken over the years with her Polaroid Land 250 camera. The book was published by the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, and some of the text is in French without English translations. Some of the images are the actual size of a Polaroid, while others are larger, and without the white Polaroid border.

There is also a softness to many of the images which makes them feel nostalgic. And, there is Patti Smith's idiosyncratic handwriting which can sometimes be difficult to read. Who is this book for? Patti Smith fans, for certain. French speakers?

Included are images of beds once belonging to Virginia Woolf, John Keats, Vanessa Bell, Victor Hugo, Guiseppe Verd, and Napoleon. Quite a combination. She also chose informal portraits of her family, her husband Fred, daughter Jesse, and son Jackson. There is a lonely portrait of Ralph Nader.

It feels like the images need contemplation and serious looking to appreciate. As subjective as looking is, there will be favorites and less-liked.

[Jamespc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the material enclosed in the "Charleville" section was later revised for her memoir, "Just Kids". That said, it was very interesting to see manuscripts and pictures that were only referenced in "Just Kids". It provides some added depth for those interested in Smith's life, circa 1973.

[Joana Guerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poetical photo book, containing once more the delightful memories of the amazing Patti Smith.