Art Basel 2008: The Cartier Foundation Is Proud To Present Patti Smith And Her Band

Being firmly rooted in the Madonna/George Michaels era of 90's pop music, I never thought I would one day find myself at a Patti Smith concert, let alone a Patti Smith concert in a deconsecrated Catholic church in Switzerland. Of course, I was aware of who she was (a rock icon) and of her considerable contribution to the New York City rock scene of the late 70's and 80's that spawned influential rock bands like The Ramones and Blondie. Still, to describe myself as a fan would have been a stretch. So, there I was, in the front row of a private concert sponsored by the Cartier Foundation (Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain) and organized in association with Art Basel, one of the premiere contemporary art fairs in the world. Just a little bit surreal I would say.

Patti Smith, Basel, Switzerland, June 5, 2008. Photos by Gregory Pouy. All rights reserved.

As the "good Catholic girl" in me got over the surrealism of the setting (the performance took place in what was effectively the nave of the church that once housed the alter), I sat back and prepared to take in the concert as an enthusiastic observer but not really a fan as such. What became clear from the moment Patti Smith and her band took their place in the nave however was that, whatever it was that propelled her into her rock icon status, is still very much alive today. Her voice is as strong, as brassy and as raw as it was when she first started out in the 1970's and judging by the enthusiasm of the crowd, she still has that electricity that enables her to connect with her audience and bring them to their well-heeled feet (let's just say that the Art Basel crowd might have looked a tad out of place at the now-defunct Lower East side club CBGBs that was the center of the rock scene in Patti Smith's heyday). About midway through the concert when she and her band launched into her classic anthem "Because The Night", the surge of excitement coming from the pews was truly awesome. Who knew wealthy art collectors could go wild like that? Yet, despite the energy and excitement she generated, her performance was also tinged with sadness. Many of the songs she performed were dedicated to loved ones lost including her late husband and former band mate Frederick Smith and dear friends such as Robert Mapplethorp reminding us all of just how much living she's packed in her 62 years.

But, above all else, the thing that struck me the most about this event is how utterly current Patti Smith remains even at age 62. That she's still around and performing is in itself a bit of a minor miracle. After all, the rock n' roll lifestyle is not conducive to longevity judging by the number of rock heros cut down in the prime of their life by too much sex, drugs and rock n' roll. Yet, there she was, in the flesh still sporting her "rock chick" look exuding energy and vitality and looking much, much younger than her age. I suspect that part of what keeps her going so strongly long after many of her contemporaries have fizzled out is the fact that she hasn't stopped evolving as an artist. She has pushed herself beyond her music and embraced other art forms including poetry and photography revealing other facets of her talent. Her photographs in particular offer a glimpse of a softer side that you wouldn't suspect if all you knew of her was her music and lyrics. The Cartier Foundation has been instrumental is enabling her to grow in these new directions by generously sponsoring her artistic journey. In addition to this concert during Art Basel, they sponsored an earlier concert in Paris and an exhibit of her photography, the first major exhibition devoted exclusively to her work. I'm personally grateful to the Cartier Foundation because I probably would not have known to appreciate Patti Smith or her art had it not been for this concert. While I may have been a mere observer at the start of the concert, I can honestly say that by the end, I was indeed a fan. Merci Cartier. Merci Patti.

The Patti Smith exhibit at Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Paris runs until June 22, 2008. Fondation Cartier is also co-publishing with Actes Sud three books devoted to the artistic world of Patti Smith: Charleville, Statues and Cahier, combined in a set entitled Trois. For more information, please visit the Fondation Cartier website. To discover musical works commissioned by Cartier especially for the launch of its 2008 "Love" jewelry collection, please visit the Cartier "Love" website.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles