Smith is a prolific visual artist as well as a poet, musician, and performer. Her characteristic intensity and expressiveness are evident in this self–portrait. "I got pissed. I gave up art yet here I am again," she has scrawled, commenting on the challenge and frustration inherent in the creative process. The singular character of her handwriting enhances the personal aspect of the composition. Smith draws her imagery of language, text, and self from myriad influences, ranging from contemporary underground music to the work of visionary eighteenthand nineteenth–century artists and authors, like William Blake and Arthur Rimbaud.

Gallery label from

Glossolalia: Languages of Drawing, March 26–July 7, 2008.

Medium Pencil, ballpoint pen, colored pencil, charcoal and gouache with black and white instant print on paper
Dimensions 29 x 23" (73.6 x 58.3 cm)
Credit Gift of Patti Smith
Object number 809.1996
Department Drawings and Prints

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