Untitled IV (Shield)

Kiki Smith's close examination of the human body, represented in whole or in parts, captures its physical presence and incisively communicates the psychological and physiological import of the subject. Smith makes objects in a variety of media -plaster, bronze, glass, papier-mâché, textile, works on paper-and pays close attention to the relationships between the materials and the subjects they evoke. While Smith acknowledges that she is influenced by social and political issues, she has also said that it is the visual experience of what is happening around her that forms the major impetus for her work.

Untitled IV (Shield) portrays a pregnant friend's belly-the last of a series of four plaster casts the artist made. Here, Smith applied the plaster directly onto the model, revealing the topography of her belly: the undulations of the baby's body within the womb; the hair, pores, and bumps of the mother's skin; her prominent navel; even capturing the impression of the elastic band of her underwear. Smith hand-modeled the edge of the plaster to create the "shield"-like effect and used alginate- a dental-casting plaster-that has a slight pink tint resembling a pale flesh color.

The rim is a critical element of the piece. The cast of the belly is taken directly from life, while the rim carries traces of the artist's hand (there are even finger marks visible on the reverse side of the piece). The interactive relationship between these portraits-the unborn child, the mother's belly, and the artist's hand-evoke both the personal and universal nature of pregnancy. Smith has also discussed the political aspects of Shield. In an unpublished interview with Oberlin student Elizabeth Otto, Smith discussed this work in terms of issues such as reproductive freedom, suggesting that it could be considered a defensive shield to protect rights that could be taken away.

The AMAM collection has three other works by Smith, including Banshee Pearls (1991), composed of twelve color lithographs, a 2006 gift of Dr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Ross of Gates Mills, Ohio.