Patti Smith, the "godmother of punk rock", is one of the most influential artists in contemporary culture. Her work transcends the boundaries of music, poetry and activism, making her synonymous with creative freedom and rebellious spirit.
Born as Patricia Lee Smith on 30 December 1946 in Chicago, she grew up in a modest working-class environment in New Jersey. At a young age, she showed remarkable intellectual and artistic potential. She was strongly influenced by literary classics, such as Arthur Rimbaud, William Blake and Emily Dickinson, who later became her key inspirations.
In 1967, she moved to New York, where her life became intertwined with the iconic art scene. At that time, the city was a thriving hub of avant-garde culture, which had a profound impact on Smith. It was there that she met photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who became her lifelong partner and artistic inspiration. Their relationship, full of passion and challenges, is described in her award-winning autobiography Just Kids (2010), which chronicles her early artistic career and the complex dynamics of their relationship.
She began her career as a poet and performer in New York. She performed in clubs such as the legendary CBGB, which was the cradle of the punk movement. In 1974, she formed Patti Smith Group and released her first album, Horses, a year later. Produced by John Cale of the Velvet Underground, the album is considered one of the key works of punk rock. The cover of the album, photographed by Mapplethorpe, depicts Smith in an androgynous image that broke with the norms of femininity and gender roles of the time. In an interview with Dnevnik in 2015, she recalled the concert at Ljubljana's Križanke as: "I wrote the songs, then slowly added chords, rhythms, and we became a rock'n'roll band. In the beginning, I didn't have ambitions to make records and become a rock'n'roll star. My idea was just to make poetry more attractive and exciting with musical accompaniment. As beautiful as poetry can be, it becomes kind of boring, at least for me. So I wanted to bring some energy into the poems. That alone made our group different from the others."
Smith became known for her unique voice and lyrics that combines personal experiences, political commentary and literary references. Her songs, such as Gloria and Because the Night (which she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen), became anthems of rebellion and independence. Her music was not only a means of expression, but also a platform for social critique. Patti Smith has always been a vocal advocate for the rights of marginalised groups, for environmental justice and world peace. Her work often drew attention to injustice, making her the voice of a generation that wanted change. Her work showed that art is not just an aesthetic act, but also a vehicle for social activism.
In addition to her musical career, Smith has established herself as an author. Her book Just Kids won the prestigious National Book Award in 2010 and became an international bestseller. Smith's writing style, full of lyricism and honesty, brought readers closer to the complex art scene of New York in the 1970s. In 2015, she published M Train, a book that reflects on art, loss and life's turning points. Smith is also a passionate photographer and painter, and her work has been exhibited in renowned galleries such as MoMA. Proving that her creativity has no boundaries, she transitions between different media, always maintaining her distinctive authorial touch.
To this day, Patti Smith remains an icon of the art world, continuing to inspire new generations of artists and activists. On 5 October 2023, in the run-up to GO! 2025, she performed at a large free concert in the car park of the former border crossing at Rožna Dolina. The concert, attended by more than 8000 people, brought together people from both sides of the border, from Nova Gorica and Gorizia, and became a symbol of integration and cooperation, reflecting the common history and culture of the two cities.
