The Earth Below, an exhibition of new work by North Texas artist Mark Smith, will be on display May 5–June 16, 2012 at William Campbell Contemporary Art gallery. The show will include paintings on wood panel and works on paper from Smith’s the Earth Below Suite, so titled to describe not only a group of paintings and drawings, but also the artist’s meticulous research, observation, and manipulation—all of which serve to generate intellectual and visual metamorphoses.
An exhibition of new works by MARK SMITH titled:
THE EARTH BELOW
will be on display May 5 – June 16, 2012 at
William Campbell Contemporary Art.
An opening reception will be held Saturday, May 5, 6 -8 p.m.
A long-running interest in scientific processes, along with a concern about the ecology and humans’ negative effects on the planet, inform Smith’s work. To that end, his paintings involve much more than a straightforward application of pigment to surface; they comprise the literal and visual transformation from photographic image to digitally manipulated drawing to hand-rendered painting. They are a contemporary amalgamation of science, technology, and the artist’s hand.
Copper Canyon by Mark Smith, High density pigment on birch 64” x 48” 2011 - 2012
Smith begins his process by studying satellite images of the Earth’s surface. He then uses specialized software and digital drawing media to manipulate, deconstruct, and rebuild the images as nonrepresentational, abstract fields. He often incorporates digital samples of his earlier paintings as well. Coupled with the new imagery, these studies preserve visual matter while creating additional layers of history and referencing a metamorphosis—both on the Earth’s surface and in the artwork. The final paintings represent Smith’s “spontaneous responses” to these carefully researched and constructed drawings. The artist builds the impulsive yet complex paintings by applying multiple layers of highly saturated color atop plaster-coated hardwood. By playing with the consistency of the paint, he creates a sense of slow movement and continuous flow. Smith applies the paint with brushes, blades, water jets, and hot air, mimicking geological forces and erosion—a technique that parallels the artist’s response to Earth’s physical changes, both natural and man-made.
