Jack Smith: A Feast for Open Eyes

'The only true underground filmmaker' - John Waters

The ICA presents a fortnight of films, events and symposia dedicated to the legendary American artist, filmmaker and actor, Jack Smith (1932-1989).

Working in New York from the 1950s until his death in 1989, Smith unequivocally resisted and upturned the world of accepted conventions, whether artistic, moral or legal. Irreverent in tone and delirious in effect, Smith’s films, such as the notorious Flaming Creatures (1961), are at once wildly camp and subtly polemic. Although best known for his contributions to underground cinema, Smith's influence also extends across the realm of performance art, photography and experimental theatre.

The programme of activity at the ICA looks to map out the breadth of Smith's practice—from his collaborative film productions to his individual writings—as well as offer a perspective on his legacy in the UK.

Supported by The Edwin Fox Foundation

This event has been organised in collaboration between the ICA, Dominic Johnson and LUX, London with special thanks to Gladstone Gallery, New York