In the Wings (3 – 30 November 2021) presents 17 new paintings by contemporary British artist Laura Smith. Made as a series, these new works unite some of the artist’s formal and stylistic concerns: light as subject, the emotive power of gesture and the textural characteristics of objects in art.
A still-life painter trained at The Slade School of Fine Art, Smith is interested in dissolving our familiarity with regular objects. From crystals and scraps of fabric to other domestic debris, her use of light, colour and perspective to depict these objects blurs the lines between the figurative and the abstract. Creating unfamiliar and mysterious realms out of the everyday, Smith is interested in how repeated motifs enable a deeper and freer investigation of the objects themselves.
Nick Crean, Founder and Director of Crean & Company: ‘I’ve followed and collected Laura’s work for some 15 years, so it’s wonderful to be able to offer this new series of considered, energetic and colourful still lifes.'
-
Large works
"These paintings have all been made from a single, elaborate set-up where the light could be fully controlled in a theatrical way, hence the title of the exhibition," says Laura. "From one painting to another, you will be able to spot the same personas disguised by the change of light - either illuminated or cast into shadow.
"The placement and juxtaposition of objects, as well as how they interact with one another, is a big driving force for the creation of a painting. These sometimes anthropomorphic gestures speak of human dynamics and dramas. At the same time, the way an object is positioned can dissolve our familiarity with it. In this way, I attempt to reach from within the still life genre towards both peopled narratives and abstraction."
-
Medium Works
"Often, a detail from a painting, such as the pearls and shining coins in a Georges de La Tour or the billowing silk in a Hogarth will stay with me. The array of objects depicted in this series includes crystals and precious antiques tumbled together with scraps of fabric, theatrical jewellery and debris."
-
Smaller works
"My process of making a painting is very intuitive - I let it evolve. I see the painting and myself as going on a journey together. I think many observational painters like to look at things in such a way that they become totally unfamiliar to them and therefore exciting to paint. The aim of the paintings is to transport the viewer – and the artist – to a semi-fantastical world where everything is real."
-
-
Laura Smith, In the Wings, 2021 Sold -
Laura Smith, Pointed Toe, 2021 Sold
-
Laura Smith, Lightworker, 2021 Sold
-
Laura Smith, Ace of Cups, 2021 Sold
-
