Reflection 1 at Apostrophe NYC (2017)
25 1/2 x 14 1/2 x 5 1/2 in Acrylic on Wood 2017
80 x 28 x 24 in Acrylic on Wood 2017
25 1/2 x 14 1/2 x 5 1/2 in Acrylic on Wood 2017
Press Release:
Reflection 1 (6/24/17 - 7/3/17), investigates the phenomenon of bright paint reflected on the wall, pulling the viewers' attention from the art object to its immediate environment. The reflected colors render the painted surface obsolete, instead we notice the space between things. The effect of paint rather than the paint itself. Smith seems to posit that perhaps, after all, it is our effect rather than our actions that truly matter.
Each piece is hand-painted, the painted color not quite even, the wood occasionally flawed. The pieces are painted purely for function. Unlike their Minimalist cousins, these pieces revel in the warmth of their humanistic impurity. Approaching the Minimalist’s quest for the essential through a new exploration, Smith highlights the fact that though he, the painter, is imperfect the paint and its effects can be pure.
The pieces change and reveal themselves as you move around (and occasionally through) them. In this way, Smith has created interactive work with clever simplicity. The audience effects the shadows and color of the work with personal freedom that is not controlled by the artist or the work.