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8/6/2007

Richard Smith

Artspace Fine Art Gallery, Johannesburg

New works

Scottish born Richard Smith presents his second collaboration with Artspace Fine Art Gallery. Having worked for South African and British newspapers as a cartoonist for a number of years, Smith held his first Solo exhibition in 1972. Smith's first solo collaboration with Artspace was in his well received exhibition 'Dialogues', which was held at Constitution hill. There, he presented large scale charcoal portraits. Over the drawings, Smith placed objects from his imagination which didn't necessarily have any connection to the subject of the portrait, but rather as a veil that separated the already 2 dimensional surface.

In his upcoming exhibition, Smith employs a similar technique, but places the objects in a grid in a move to a more geometric format. Instead of wearing deadpan expressions as in his previous work, the subjects scowl, shout or smile at the viewer. This coupled with the veil of geometric images called attention to the process of drawing. It points to the representation as being merely that. As beautifully drawn as the portraits may be, they are never the person, but a representation, an image of the person. The grid of arbitrary objects calls attention to the surface as being flat, thereby pulling in an opposite direction to the perspective employed in the portraits.

These portraits confront and engage the viewer in a quiet dialogue which can only be achieved through the subtlety of drawing that few artists can render. Smith uses charcoal in a way which pushes the medium of drawing beyond its traditional treatment and plays a visual game with the eye.

Opening : Saturday 9 June 2007 at 5pm

Artspace fine art gallery
3 Hetty Ave, Fairland - Johannesburg
Gallery hours : Tu - Fri 10h00 - 16h00; Sat 10h00 - 14h00; Closed Sundays/Mondays

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