Jack Smith
1932–1989
Introduction
Jack Smith (November 14, 1932 – September 18, 1989) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pioneer of underground cinema. He is generally acclaimed as a founding father of American performance art, and has been critically recognized as a master photographer.
Wikidata identifier
Q706886
Information from Wikipedia, made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License . Accessed December 19, 2025.
Introduction
The New York based photographer, filmmaker, and performer died of AIDS-related causes in 1989. He created exotic imagery, based on artifice derived from Hollywood features and the actress Maria Montez. His film "Flaming Creatures" became famous for creating a censorship controversy.
Roles
Artist, performance artist, photographer, writer
ULAN identifier
500350481
Names
Jack Smith
Information from the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License. Accessed December 19, 2025.
