Introducing British artist David Brian Smith, who RHODES Editions will be collaborating with shortly.
David Brian Smith is a London-based artist who, since his graduation from Chelsea College of Art and Design, has exhibited in the Saatchi Gallery in London, as well as solo exhibitions in Brussels, Amsterdam, and Taipei and countless art fairs.
Brian Smith’s works are playgrounds of texture and colour, often featuring intricate patterns weaving across landscapes. While the designs may seem abstract at first, from further away they often take the forms of trees, clouds, or entire worlds in the sky. This composition combines with his often-otherworldly colour palettes, resulting in works that are as mesmerising as they are joyful.
The texture in Brian Smith’s work is often shaped by the physical texture of his canvas. He works on herringbone linen, which has a clear pattern in the fibres that can be seen in the shapes in his works. Also, canvases with this choice of fabric are able to hold more paint, allowing him to work on his pieces for longer. However, this material has a personal as well as artistic meaning. Brian Smith grew up on a farm, and so the fabric’s associations with tweed and flat caps also play a part in this choice.
His colours, compositions, and materials represent the narrative he wants to tell in his practice. The tension between the patterned canvas and the designs that may often clash with it, as well as the psychedelic colour palette he uses to depict the English countryside, demonstrate the contrast in the changing landscape we see today. Growing up on a farm, Brian Smith had direct knowledge of the struggles the farming industry experienced while appearing to succeed on the outside, and his works explore this dichotomy between appearance and reality.
Brian Smith's upcoming print release, Waiting for Love, is an eye-catching work that epitomises his artistic practice. The composition is layered and the colours shimmer across the world he has created. The large size of the print allows for each detail to be fully appreciated, while the gold-leaf detailing provides extra texture to the print.
David Brian Smith’s debut print release with RHODES Editions will be available to buy in early July. Email info@rhodeseditions.com for more information.
