Josh Smith (b. 1976). Untitled, 2013. Oil on panel. 63 x 48 inches (160 x 121.9 cm). ...

Description

Josh Smith (b. 1976)
Untitled, 2013
Oil on panel
63 x 48 inches (160 x 121.9 cm)


PROVENANCE
Luhring Augustine, New York (label verso);
Standard Oslo, Oslo, Norway (label verso);
Private collection, New York, acquired from the above.

John Smith's brightly colored, quasi-abstract paintings are based on appropriated imagery and may be grouped stylistically with Expressionist Pop artists Martin Kippenberger and Christopher Wool. Seemingly unplanned, his paintings-including Untitled from 2013-are carefully orchestrated using a selection of sources and a systematic process of repetition, which can be explained by Smith's background in printmaking. Like prints and multiples, Smith's works are often identical in size and motif, including his name, a leaf, and a fish, a witty way to suggest the functioning role of the artist rather than visual appeal.

Smith looks for objects that one can strip of meaning. In the present work, the artist paints a common palm tree set against a nondescript tropical sky of pinks, purples and oranges, revealing his interest not in representation or in signification but, rather, on the process of painting itself. In Untitled, Smith presents a common subject, and the artist and the viewer work together to create something interesting.


More information about Smith, Josh Artist.



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