Michael Smith, an undersung hero of the New York contemporary art world, is like putty in his own hands. He turns himself at will into his own living artwork: a hapless, naive, tackily dressed, endlessly puzzled Everyman named Mike. Mike is the magic glue that holds together “Mike’s World: Michael Smith and Joshua White (and other collaborators),” a terrifically entertaining and philosophically compelling survey, at the Institute of Contemporary Art here, of Mr. Smith’s 30-year career as a performance artist, video maker and installation artist. Organized by Mr. Smith in collaboration with Mr. White, an artist, television director and former producer of psychedelic light shows, the show had its debut last fall at the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin, where Mr. Smith teaches. (He lives in New York.)
The New York Times
An Artist’s Concocted World, Starring Himself, Is Too True To Be Real
May 13
